Bomb attack puts South Africa's tour in jeopardy

LAHORE: The suspected suicide bomb attack in Karachi on former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's convoy has put South Africa' ongoing cricket tour in jeopardy and the visitors are set to decide if they want to continue with the series.

An official with the South African team said the security of players remained of utmost importance and no risks would be taken in that regard.

"We will be having discussions with senior officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa today on the situation in the wake of this devastating incident," spokesman Owen Smith said.

He confirmed the team would take advice from independent security consultants on continuing the tour in the changed situation.

More than 130 people were killed in the twin blasts which took place as Bhutto returned to the country after eight years of exile.

"The players feel badly about what has happened. Their sympathies and condolences go out to the affected people in this incident," he added.

The South Africans have to play four more one-day internationals in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Karachi before returning home on the October 30. They played the first ODI on Thursday and the next is scheduled for Saturday.

The Proteas played the first Test earlier this month in Karachi which went off smoothly with hundreds of policemen and paramilitary rangers providing them cover round the clock.

The security for the South Africans has been heavy on the tour with the interior ministry taking no chances and deploying uniformed and plain-clothed policemen and commandoes with the touring team which has also brought three security officers with them.

A PCB official, on condition of anonymity, said he did not see the Karachi incident affecting the tour and expressed confidence it would be completed on schedule.

"The security for the team has been of state level round the clock and what happened in Karachi was shocking but such terrorist attacks are happening everywhere in the world," he said.

In August 2006, South Africa also abandoned their tour of Sri Lanka after a bomb blast near their team hotel killed a dozen people.

Their return home midway from a triangular series on the advice of independent security consultants based in Dubai led to severe criticism from the Sri Lankan Board and government which had given all security assurances to continue the tour.

South Africa also did not play in Karachi and Peshawar when they toured Pakistan in 2003 saying they had security concerns for their players.