Australia have postponed their tour of Pakistan following two bombings in the country which reportedly killed 15 people in Lahore yesterday.

Cricket Australia announced the decision following discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council. No date has yet been set for a rearranged tour to take place.

Australia were set to arrive in Pakistan on March 29 for a shortened tour which was scheduled to include two Test matches and five one-day internationals in April.

"We are very sorry that the tour could not take place at this time," Creagh O'Connor, the Cricket Australia chairman, told a news conference in Melbourne today, ending weeks of speculation. "This was a difficult decision based on [an] independent review of the circumstances prevailing in Pakistan at the moment.

"We wish no loss to [the] Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and look forward to undertaking this tour in the near future."

Geoff Lawson, the Pakistan coach, said it was "very disappointing" but added "it is better that the series has been postponed rather than cancelled".

Lawson, himself a former Australia international, said: "I hope this series is not postponed for long because Pakistan are in dire need of playing international cricket and more Test matches.

"Cricket Australia is right in carefully considering the security situation before the tour, but it is a situation no one wants to be in. I just hope cricket is not damaged in Pakistan because of this postponement."

The decision comes at a time when the Australian Government has been warning against non-essential travel to Pakistan, the country having been plagued by tensions since the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in December.

O'Connor and Dr Nashim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, will meet in Dubai next weekend to discuss a possible future date with Pakistan against moving the tour to a neutral venue. That happened in 2002 when three Tests between the countries were played in Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates due to security fears.

Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998. But due to the congested international cricket calendar and the problems in Pakistan, the tour is unlikely to take place in the near future.

"We are obviously very disappointed at this decision," Dr Ashraf said. "I guess there is not much we could do and sincerely hope that the tour of Australia to Pakistan can materialise at the earliest opportunity."

Senior Australian players had expressed concerns for several months over the tour. Cricket Australia officials consulted Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and trade for independent security advice before reaching it's decision.

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