Australia is hoping to tour Pakistan in 2022, but chief executive Kevin Roberts said security remains a concern and he would never jeopardise the safety of players. The team is scheduled to play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20I games in Pakistan from late February 2022.
Most international teams have refused to visit the South Asian nation since the Sri Lankan team's bus was attacked by gunmen during a Test in Lahore in March 2009, leaving six players injured.
"Things are heading in the right direction. In saying that we were travelling in armoured cars and escorted by police and felt very safe over there. But certainly, that level of security is still required at this point." Roberts said "we would love to see international cricket return to Pakistan", but cautioned that "we would never put our people in jeopardy." Roberts made the statement after he returned from Pakistan on Thursday. It was the first trip by a high-level Australian cricket delegation in more than a decade.
“The purpose was really to understand the landscape, look at the plans they have in place around security and then start expressing our expectations for the safety of our players and our support staff well over two years away from when we're due to tour,” he said.
“We have got the next couple of years to hopefully plan for a tour in 2022 but we have just got to set that out carefully, bit by bit, rather than rushing into it,” Roberts added. H also added that advice of experts will be taken along the way.
Owing to security concerns, Australia has not toured Pakistan since 1998. Sri Lanka's cricket board too, has said they would go ahead as planned with the upcoming six-match tour of Pakistan despite fears that players could be the targets of terror attacks.
