PCB starts security groundwork for Ind tour

Desperate to ensure that India does not back out of the tour to Pak owing to security fears, the PCB is meeting top Govt officials to start the groundwork for the series.

Desperate to ensure that India does not back out of the tour to Pakistan owing to security fears, the PCB is meeting top government officials to start the groundwork for the series, which is still a couple of months away.

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Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) Director-general Saleem Altaf says he is confident that India will go ahead with the tour as it has confirmed the itinerary.

Altaf revealed India would be sending a security delegation before the tour as part of a routine exercise to coordinate logistical arrangements with the host board and government.

"But we are confident the Indians will fulfill their obligation as the tour is part of the future tours programme of the International Cricket Council (ICC)," Altaf stated.

India are due to play a three-day game in Hyderabad and then Tests in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi on the tour besides five one-day internationals and a twenty20 game.

Altaf said he would be visiting Rawalpindi soon to inspect the construction work going on at the Pindi cricket stadium that was rejected as a venue by the ICC for the now-postponed Champions Trophy.

The ICC had serious concerns about security cover around the Pindi stadium for the Champions Trophy.

Sources in the board believe that even the Indian board will eventually have problems playing in Rawalpindi, which is the twin city of capital Islamabad where several bomb blasts have taken place in recent times.