South Africa pull out of Champions Trophy

Players in Australia and New Zealand have been advised not to travel to Pakistan on safety grounds while Kevin Pietersen and his England squad have made their concerns clear and are likely to boycott the tournament if pushed into a corner.

But South Africa's decision - taken at board level despite attempts by International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat to convince them that " satisfactory" security arrangements have been put in place for Lahore and Karachi - means the twoweek event is now almost certain to be moved or cancelled.

The ICC have said a final decision will be taken on Sunday following a tele-conference involving all member countries.

Sri Lanka is first reserve for the event, due to start on 12 September, and cricket officials there have said they are willing to host the Champions Trophy.

There are two possible barriers to switching the event, however, with both Pakistan and India having suggested this week they would not support a change of venue.

Meanwhile, Steve Harmison was today in line for a dramatic England recall on the ground where he suffered one of cricket's most humiliating beatings.

Harmison - coaxed out of oneday international retirement last night by new captain Kevin Pietersen - will need to bury the memory of what happened to him at Headingley two years ago if he finds himself bowling against South Africa in the first of five NatWest series games.

The Durham paceman conceded 97 runs from his 10 overs against Sri Lanka in the summer of 2006.

They remain the most expensive figures by an England player in one-day internationals and almost certainly contributed to Harmison's decision to quit limitedovers cricket a few months later.

But now, heartened by a successful return to the Test team a fortnight ago and further encouraged by Pietersen's very public show of faith in him, the 29-yearold is willing to give the shorter form of the game another shot.

With Ryan Sidebottom ruled out of today's game with a groin injury, Harmison is back in the fold but said: "My focus is on doing well against South Africa and I'm not looking beyond that."

After the Champions Trophy - if it takes place - is the small matter of the £10million Twenty20 clash in Antigua this November.

Harmison said: "I decided to retire from the one-day team for a number of reasons, one of them being the amount of time I was spending away from my family.

"Now that my family are settled and my bowling is settled I feel I have something to offer."