SOME AUSTRALIA PLAYERS CONCERNED ABOUT TOURING PAKISTAN

Ahead of the upcoming multi-format tour of Pakistan, it has emerged that some Australian players are concerned about visiting the country.

As per a report in Sydney Morning Herald, the players are increasingly worrying about terrorist attacks in Pakistan. This is the first time in 24 years that Australia would be touring Pakistan. Earlier, Cricket Australia had said that the safety and wellbeing of their players remains the top-most priority.

“Cricket Australia (CA) and the Pakistan Cricket Board continue to work closely in planning the tour and are in regular contact with our respective governments,” the statement said.

“We continue to have regular and open discussions with our players and support staff on the extensive security, biosecurity and operational arrangements for the tour,” it added.

Earlier, national selector George Bailey had said that he believed security plans were “very, very robust and very, very thorough” for the tour of Pakistan after multiple briefings for what would be the first Australian tour of the country since Mark Taylor’s men visited in 1998.

“I believe the boards are still working through some of the minor details around that tour, so once that gets the formal tick of approval then we’ll announce the squad post that, but we’re reasonably well down the track,” Bailey told reporters, as per cricket.com.au.

The Test squad will largely pick itself following the successful 4-0 drubbing of England in this summer’s Ashes series, with the emergence of Scott Boland as a reliable workhorse allowing selectors to rest Jhye Richardson. The historic Test series between Pakistan and Australia is scheduled to begin on March 3 in Karachi.