Fast bowler will follow Cricket Australia decision

Johnson waits on Pakistan ruling

Cricinfo staff

August 7, 2008

	Mitchell Johnson wants to be able to play in safety © Getty Images

The fast bowler Mitchell Johnson will not make an individual choice on whether to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and will instead follow the advice of Cricket Australia. The ICC has ruled the tournament will go ahead next month despite the safety concerns from a number of countries, including Australia, but a final security check will be completed over the next week.

"I still stick with Cricket Australia and the [Australian Cricketers' Association]," Johnson told AAP. "They still haven't made a decision on Pakistan so until that time comes we'll see what happens."

Paul Marsh, the Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive, said last month the risk was too great for the team to tour. "We would expect Cricket Australia to adopt the same position," he said. "If it continues in Pakistan at this volatile time, unfortunately many of the world's best players won't participate, which is not a good outcome for cricket."

Johnson has played 39 one-day internationals and has become a useful member of the Australian side, which is the defending champion. "We want to go over and play in safety, we want to make sure that we're safe when we're playing in any country, so it's not just Pakistan, it's any country," Johnson said. "As long as we're safe and we've been guaranteed that all the security measures are right and so and so, then there's no reason why we can't go."

Australia delayed their Test and one-day series in Pakistan earlier in the year for similar reasons. The Test contest is due to be held in 2010 while the limited-overs fixtures are planned for next year.

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