Pakistan have refused to play cricket at neutral venues again, complaining that the financial losses are too great at the ICC executive meeting at Colombo on Tuesday.

Pakistan cricket has lost an estimated $11 million in cancelled tours after the US invasion of Afghanistan last year that destabilised the entire region.

Earlier in the year West Indies refused to tour, forcing the series to be relocated to Sharjah. Australia's scheduled three-Test tour this month is also to be played overseas, split between Sharjah and Colombo.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said: "General Zia said that this would be the last tour that Pakistan agrees to play at a neutral venue – that does not work for Pakistan. The revenue that is lost by playing at a neutral venue is significant."

Moreover, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, General Tauquir Zia, insisted that the International Cricket Council (ICC) impose financial penalties on countries that refuse to tour because of political reasons.

"Pakistan quite correctly is very concerned about the volume of cricket that it is playing at home and General Zia argued very strongly that there should be some changes made to accommodate Pakistan's position," said Speed.

"Their primary concern was the inability of Pakistan and India to play each other and the loss of revenue from that, especially considering the fact that they are due to play each other three times in the next six years.

"He has asked the ICC to look at the agreement that sits around the ICC ten-year program and try to try to come up with two major mechanisms.

"Firstly - similar to what is happening to Zimbabwe - to have a standing safety commission that can go into a country and make a judgment as to whether it is safe to play there.

"Secondly, to draw a distinction between safety and politics and be in a position to impose penalties where the refusal of players is for political reasons.

"No one has a problem with the safety, we are though wrestling with the political issue, which is a difficult issue and management has been given the task of going away and coming back with a draft document that will address these issues.

"It might not be Pakistan and India that have the problem next time, and we want a long-term solution," he concluded.

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