Pakistan cricket officials on Saturday termed shifting of their home series against India to neutral venues as "mere speculation", saying preparations are at full swing in their country.
India is scheduled to tour Pakistan in January-February to play a side game, three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 but the tour is already in doubt over the security situation in the host country.
But Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Salim Altaf voiced confidence the series would go ahead as per the schedule.
"We have not heard anything from the Indian Board and until we hear something contrary, Indian team will play the first match on the 9th January in Hyderabad and the first Test starts on the 13th in Karachi," Altaf told reporters.
The Indian government cancelled a low-profile junior hockey team's tour to Pakistan over security fears earlier this week, further raising doubts over the cricket series.
But Altaf disagreed that the move would affect cricket.
"The cricket tour is a high profile one, with both the boards guided by what their governments tell them, and normally there is a security assessment tour which will take place before the series," said Altaf.
If Pakistan were forced to shift the series to the neutral venues of Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates or to England in summer, they would endanger their home series against Australia in March and the Champions Trophy in September next year.
{{/usCountry}}If Pakistan were forced to shift the series to the neutral venues of Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates or to England in summer, they would endanger their home series against Australia in March and the Champions Trophy in September next year.
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