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Pakistan cricket chief Lt. Gen Tauqir Zia said Monday that terrorism was a global problem and any attempt to isolate Pakistan's cricket because of it was not right.

"No country is safe from terrorism but that does not mean cricket should suffer," he told a news conference. "The law and order situation in India is bad and there has been violence in Sri Lanka, however cricket has never been hampered."

Speaking 10 days after New Zealand aborted their tour of Pakistan following an attack by a suicide car bomber outside the team hotel in Karachi that killed 14 people on the morning of the second Test Tauqir said no one had an answer to such attacks.

With a question mark now also hanging over this fall's tour of Pakistan by Australia, Tauqir said he has had no negotiations with the Australian Cricket Board in this connection. "I don't think we need to request anybody to play us, if any country does not fulfil its commitment we have to take up the matter with the ICC (International Cricket Council)."

Some of the top Australian players including Shane Warne and Mark Waugh have already made up their minds not to tour Pakistan and have said their lives were more important than cricket. But Tauqir said that security to all visiting teams would be provided but still if they do not tour then it is the ICC that has to settle the matter. "We will approach the ICC and seek compensation and will also not sign the 10-year programme."

Asked if he was considering playing Australia on a neutral venue, he remarked: "With the World Cup coming up, my priority is cricket and I have spoken to Malcolm Gray (ICC chairman) who is of the view that tours should continue."

Tauqir pointed out that there was no money advantage playing on a neutral ground while the "home advantage" was identical for both sides. Pakistan earlier this year played the West Indies in Sharjah, after the Caribbeans refused to come down here for a Test series.

The general said that the PCB would consider any request from Australia for a choice of venues. "I wouldn't say Karachi would be omitted because of the recent bomb blast, as it is a big centre."

Tauqir said that he would want paceman Shoaib Akhtar to take five wickets at the speed of 90 miles an hour rather than watching him end up with no wicket at all at 100mph.

Shoaib unofficially broke the 100-mile speed barrier during the third one-day International against New Zealand last month, in a match in which he took no wicket. "I want to see him take wickets at whatever speed," he said.

Asked why the PCB had not made any attempt to have Shoaib's record recognized officially, Tauqir said that it was a petty matter for which a fight couldn't be put up with the International Cricket Council (ICC)

The General said the PCB was considering insuring future series at home in the wake of the aborted New Zealand tour this month. He said no series in the past had been insured but now this aspect was being given serious consideration. "I think it will be good if we do it, however we have to look at what we have to give and what we get in return."

Although Tauqir said that profit and loss from the New Zealand tour was still being worked out, he felt that the PCB had earned a marginal profit.

© Dawn