Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday issued a veiled warning to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it will boycott the Champions Trophy if the tournament is relocated to another country.

PCB Chief Operating Officer, Shafqat Naghmi admitted that after South Africa withdrew from the eight-nation tournament, there lies a strong possibility of Australia, England and New Zealand doing the same at the crucial ICC teleconference on Sunday.

He added that if the ICC on Sunday decides to relocate the biennial tournament, Pakistan also reserves the right to boycott the event.

"We are prepared for this and we are expecting a formal announcement at the teleconference," he said.

All the four countries have said they have got advice from their independent security consultants and from their government not to travel to Pakistan at this stage because of the security conditions in the country.

The countries have pointed out to the ICC that since January this year around 21 suicide bomb and planted bomb attacks have been taken place in Pakistan leaving over 400 people dead and scores injured.

The last one came at Wah Cantt, some 30 kilometres outside Islamabad two days ago in which around 70 people were killed.

Security scenario

However, Naghmi insisted that the security scenario was no different in other countries.

"Terrorism is a problem all over the world, it is not just limited to Pakistan. And keeping this in mind we have made the best possible security arrangements for the Champions Trophy in consultation with the ICC security people. So how can countries now say they can't come to Pakistan," he said.

Naghmi said the PCB would do everything possible to ensure the Board did not lose hosting rights of the tournament due to be held in September but conceded other options were being studied, including relocating the event to any other country.

Diplomatic pressure

Meanwhile, the PCB will on Sunday ask the ICC Executive Board to defer a decision on the Champions Trophy for a week to get time for its government to exert diplomatic pressure on the four countries not willing to send their teams to Pakistan.

"Apparently Australia, New Zealand and England have also unofficially conveyed to the ICC they wouldn't be sending their teams. We now want a week's delay in the final decision as the government says it will get involved and use diplomatic channels to convince the four countries," one source said.

"Sports minister Najmuddin Khan and top officials will meet ambassadors of the four countries and try to convince them that the government is committed to providing the highest level of security for participating teams," the source added.

Shafqat Naghmi met top officials in Islamabad on Saturday and discussed with them the security concerns of the four countries and even mulled on shifting the tournament to Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi with Pakistan remaining the hosts.

"This option is viable as the three Emirates states are also interested in such a proposal and they have facilities to host an international event if not immediately but in a few months time. Plus, the biggest thing is there are no security issues or threats in these places," the source added.