ICC consider rescheduling New Zealand's game in Kenya

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has opened the door to rescheduling New Zealand's World Cup game in Nairobi outside Kenya.

The ICC says New Zealand can seek a review of the ICC's decision to reject its application for the game to be moved because of security concerns.

The ICC made the announcement after New Zealand Cricket (NZC) today said it was considering taking its dispute with the ICC to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.

It was revealed last night the Black Caps would forfeit their points by refusing to play Kenya in Nairobi on February 21, the tournament's chief organiser Ali Bacher confirmed.

NZC decided yesterday the safety of its players was at risk by playing and said the team would not play.

NZC chief executive Martin Snedden said last night NZC believed the decision made by the ICC executive board hours earlier was unreasonable and that it would seek to have the dispute resolved and the match rescheduled outside Kenya.

"We will be getting some legal advice over the next few days about what procedures can be used to have this issue resolved," Mr Snedden told The Press newspaper.

"Going to the CAS (based in Lusanne) is one avenue we might be able to go down."

Then this morning (Australian time), ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said he recognised New Zealand's concerns and that he would be working to "see if there was any prospect of the match proceeding or being rescheduled".

"The issue of safety and security is clearly the main concern of both the ICC and New Zealand Cricket and, at present, NZC is not satisfied that it is safe to play in Kenya," said Speed.

"We will make available our intelligence and security advisers to provide a detailed briefing on the advice that we have received in relation to this game.

"There are also independent processes available to the NZC through which it can seek a review of the ICC's judgement and decision. NZC is entitled to seek this review."

The United States embassy in Nairobi said yesterday it gave a routine security briefing to New Zealand cricket officials before their decision not to play their Kenyan World Cup match but did not warn them to stay away.

"At the request of the British High Commission in Nairobi an (US) embassy security officer gave New Zealand (officials) a standard security briefing," embassy spokesman Peter Clausen said.

Nairobi British High Commission spokesman Mark Norton said his mission had not advised the Kiwis to stay away.

"Our position (on security in Kenya) is encapsulated in our travel advisory ... We advise British nationals to exercise vigilance in public places. We do not advise, I repeat, we do not advise people not to come to Kenya," Norton added.

Kenya was urging the New Zealand cricket team to reconsider its decision.

But Al-Qaeda stands accused of engineering two deadly terrorist attacks in Kenya, last year and in 1998.

Meanwhile, it's been revealed Zimbabwe was home to an active Al-Qaeda cell planning attacks on Westerners.

Sydney's The Daily Telegraph today said a US Government report detailed a plan by Tablik Ja'maat, an Al-Qaeda-linked group of militant extremists, to attack US targets in Zimbabwe if war is declared on Iraq.

Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill announced today 450 members of the Royal Australian Air Force would be deployed to the Middle East within weeks to prepare for the potential war on Iraq.

Earlier this month, HMAS Kanimbla, with about 350 personnel aboard, left Sydney for the Persian Gulf.

Australia is set to play in Bulawayo against Zimbabwe on February 24.