Pak vs Aus: Cricket Australia’s experts arrive in Pakistan to assess security arrangements

KARACHI: Cricket Australia’s four-member delegation, comprising security experts, has arrived in Pakistan to assess security arrangements ahead of Kangaroos’ scheduled tour of the country in March 2022.

Australia will play three Test matches, three ODIs and one T20 during the scheduled Pakistan tour.

Sources privy to the development said that the four-member advance security team has reached Karachi and will visit the National Stadium today.

The delegation comprised three Australian security experts and top-notch security consultant Reg Dickason. The Australian cricket team will visit Pakistan in March 2022 for the first time in 24 years.

The security team is also scheduled to visit Lahore and Rawalpindi and will assess the security arrangements at the hotels, stadiums and along the routes. Australia’s tour of Pakistan is subjected to clearance from the security team.

PCB sources said that officials of the Interior Ministry will also brief the delegation about the security arrangement during the visit. The security team will also watch the initial two T20 fixtures between Pakistan and West Indies, the sources added.

'Some Australian players may not be comfortable touring Pakistan' 

On November 9, Australian skipper Tim Paine had said there will be certain players in the camp who will not be "comfortable" touring Pakistan next year.

In an interview with Australian radio station SEN, Tim Paine had admitted that some players may not be 100% on board with touring Pakistan.

"There’ll be some guys who will be happy to take the experts’ advice and others will want to know a bit more,” Paine had said. "If we’re totally honest, there might be some people who aren’t comfortable going regardless.

Paine had admitted that there will be "issues that will, I’m sure, pop up."

He had said the team will discuss the subject and hopefully, get the right answers. "Hopefully, we will get the best team we can," he had said, adding that the decision to either go or not go to Pakistan rests with an individual, instead of the team.