Australian players concerned about touring Pakistan over security reasons
India Today
Australian cricketers are on edge barely a month before their first tour of Pakistan in 24 years amid an uptick in terror attacks in the Asian nation.
Australian players are increasingly worried about touring Pakistan for the multi-format series amid an uptick in terror attacks in the Asian nation. Australia has not toured Pakistan since 1998 due to security concerns, instead of playing its away matches in the United Arab Emirates.
Australia are scheduled to play three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I match in Pakistan starting March 3. As per a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, the players are concerned due to terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
Selector George Bailey told reporters on Wednesday that security arrangements would be "very, very robust and very, very thorough".
"I believe the boards are still working through some of the minor details around that tour, so once that gets the formal board of approval then we'll announce the squad post, that, but we're reasonably well down the track," he added.
Though some international touring sides have returned to Pakistan in recent years, New Zealand abruptly halted a tour there in September citing security issues and England shortly afterwards cancelled a planned tour.
An increase in attacks since the Taliban regained control of neighbouring Afghanistan in August has not helped to bolster confidence either. Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said terrorist incidents had increased by more than a third since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, local media reported.
