CA chief Kevin Roberts optimistic of Australia touring Pakistan in the future

Pakistan has been trying to schedule home games against Australia from very long. The terrorist attack on Sri Lanka cricket team in 2009 led to almost all international teams not travelling Pakistan for a long time. But after a long hit and trials, PCB have got a major breakthrough in their pursuit to host some top cricket playing nations. Sri Lanka is set to tour the country and now Cricket Australia (CA) Chief Executive Kevin Roberts looks hopeful Pakistan tour taking place.

Australia played their last series back in 1998-99 in Pakistan but after that, they have never visited the South Asian nation again. In 2008-09, they were scheduled to play in Pakistan but due to security concerns, CA stepped back from the tour.

Kevin Roberts recently returned from Pakistan after the first trip by a high-level Australian cricket delegation in more than a decade, and now Australia might tour Pakistan in 2022 according to the schedule. The Australian officials themselves wanted to take a look into the situations on the ground.

Things are heading in the right direction

Kevin Roberts looked quite hopeful after returning from Pakistan as the things are heading in the right direction according to him.“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.

“Things are heading in the right direction. In saying that we were traveling 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,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan. Roberts was in favour of the top-level cricket returning to Pakistan but also cleared that the security of the players remains the top priority for them.

“We would love to see international cricket return to Pakistan, but we would never put our people in jeopardy,” he further added. After such statements from the CA officials, PCB can be hopeful of hosting Australia in Pakistan instead of UAE which has been the alternate venue of Pakistan after 2009 attack over Sri Lanka.

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