Australian team not willing to tour Pakistan

Cricket in Pakistan has been in the doldrums ever since the infamous Sri Lankan team bus-attack. The situation in the country worsened thereafter owing to political turmoil and constant terror attacks. Meanwhile, Pakistan played their home matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, cricket resumed in the nation when Zimbabwe toured the war-stricken nation in 2015.

Thereafter, the likes of Sri Lanka, Windies and the World XI, led by Faf du Plessis, visited the country. Australia is scheduled to play a Test series and a one-off T20I series in September and October. While the Tests will be staged in the UAE, the venue for the T20 is yet to be decided. Meanwhile, a request has been made to Cricket Australia (CA) for moving the T20 match to Pakistan.

The denial by Australia

Nevertheless, the Australian board aren’t ready to send their players owing to security concerns. “The safety and security of Australian players is our number one priority. From an Australia team perspective, we are not contemplating moving our current bilateral-tour arrangements from taking on Pakistan in the Middle East, when they host the next series,” a spokesperson was quoted as saying by AAP.

Australia haven’t played in Pakistan since 1998. Meanwhile, New Zealand board also hasn’t given a green signal for a match in the country. “At the moment, NZC is doing due diligence on the request and consulting with security providers, the government and the players. We will respond to the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) when this process has been completed,” an official mentioned.

Apart from international cricket, domestic tournaments like the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been a witness to several players withdrawing from touring the country. Cricketers like Shane Watson and Kevin Pietersen denied from visiting the nation even if their side qualified. For the time being, the fans would be hoping for more cricket to be hosted by the country.

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