Pakistan's Australian coach Geoff Lawson was asked to return home by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to allay player safety fears over travelling to Pakistan for next month's Champions Trophy.
"We have asked Geoff to join us in Australia and New Zealand when we present to stakeholders, including player groups, the result of the task team visit," an ICC spokesman said on Tuesday.
- Schedule: 2008 Champions Trophy
"As a former Australia Test player, a coach and someone who lives in Pakistan he is in a unique position to give his perspective to those stakeholders."
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the former Australia fast bowler has left on the advice of the ICC task force, set up after Australia, South Africa, England and New Zealand raised safety concerns over travelling to Pakistan for the event.
The task force led by ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat was in Karachi on Tuesday to inspect the security arrangements for the eight-team event.
Lawson's departure did raise speculation about his future with PCB sources saying Lawson had left after a dispute with the national selectors over the make-up of the final 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy.
"He had differences with the selectors over the selection of some players and was not happy with the situation," one source said.
Lawson has had issues with the selectors since he took over as coach last August and has publicly criticised them for having "ad-hoc" selection policies.
Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB chief operating officer, denied this.
"The only reason he has gone is because the task force felt he would be the best man to talk to the players in Australia and New Zealand and assure them about the situation in Pakistan," Naghmi said.
He added that Lawson did not leave with the task force as he had already asked for a few days vacations to spend time with his family in Sydney.
"His departure was not sudden, it was decided," Naghmi said.
