Security concerns continue to loom large

KARACHI: A day before the start of an international cricket series is usually a day of press conferences and trophy unveilings. Journalists are busy attending them and getting important information for their curtain-raisers.

But the three-match Twenty20 International series against the West Indies which begins here at the National Stadium from Sunday (tomorrow) is a different story.On Saturday (today), Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed will talk to the press but his West Indian counterpart Jason Mohammed won’t be there. In fact, he won’t be in Pakistan at that time.

That’s because the 13-man West Indies squad which was announced late on Thursday night will land in Karachi on Saturday night less than 24 hours before the opening T20I game. The visitors will play the entire series within three days.

The issue of security remains the main talking point ahead of the T20I series which will mark the return of international cricket to Karachi after nine years.Karachi recently passed a litmus list with flying colours when it successfully hosted the high-profile final of the Pakistan Super League at the National Stadium last Sunday. The game which was attended by more than 33,000 fans was played without a single untoward incident.

However, it is quite clear that the West Indians were still not convinced.Despite generous offers from the Pakistan Cricket Board, which has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure the series, most of the top West Indies stars have stayed away from the short trip.

Just four members of the West Indies team that recently played in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe have agreed to make the trip to Pakistan. Not a single Barbadian, who make up most of the West Indies’ squad these days, has agreed to play in the series.

Top players like regular captain Carlos Brathwaite and Jason Holder have chosen not to travel due to security concerns. Other notable absentees include superstar Chris Gayle and spinner Devendra Bishoo.

Commenting on the tour, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Chief Executive Officer Jonny Grave said, “Following the successful hosting of the Pakistan Super League final in Karachi on the weekend, our squad are now en route to Pakistan for our three-match T20I series. This tour is a further major step for our friends at the PCB to bring their cricket back home, and we are pleased that our players and support staff have recognised this and supported this venture.

“Independent security advisors Eastern Star International have confirmed to both CWI and WIPA that they are satisfied the risk is manageable and can be mitigated to an acceptable level. We have made it very clear to the players and support staff that had personal reservations about this tour that we fully understand and respect their position,” he added.

Agencies add: As with Sri Lanka’s visit to Pakistan last October, West Indies’ side is well off from what would be considered a full-strength unit. There are two new faces in what is a relatively inexperienced side, Andre McCarthy and Odean Smith having received their maiden call-ups.

Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin and Samuel Badree are the most experienced players on the team sheet. Also part of the touring party are wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton and opener Andre Fletcher, both of whom played in Karachi in the PSL final.

West Indies were due to visit Pakistan in November, but a number of factors - including unforeseen bad weather - meant the tour had to be postponed. The reluctance of several West Indies players to tour Pakistan due to security concerns has been evident ever since the tour was announced, and it emerged just last week that CWI was offering its players around USD25,000 if they agreed to tour Pakistan for the series.

The three T20Is will be played consecutively from April 1-3, all at the National Stadium in Karachi.West Indies squad: Jason Mohammad (captain), Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Andre McCarthy, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Marlon Samuels, Odean Smith, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams.