South Africa to get state guest-level security on their tour of Pakistan

After their home campaign against Sri Lanka, South Africa are set for their tour of Pakistan that is scheduled to get underway on Tuesday, January 26. The tour starts with the two Tests to be played at the National Stadium in Karachi and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will be hosting the three T20Is, starting, Thursday, February 11.

In the meantime, it has been learned that the visitors would be provided state guest level security after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, also a former Pakistan all-rounder, approved the arrangements. The Interior and Foreign ministry has been instructed to make arrangements for the guests, going by a notification issued by the PM’s office.

South Africa to tour Pakistan for the first time since 2007

As per reports in Times Now, a foolproof security arrangement has been churned out and 500 personnel of the paramilitary rangers will be on duty with the South African team. In the last 11 years or so, cricket in Pakistan has gone through a tumultuous period. It was in 2015 when Zimbabwe toured Pakistan and marked the return of international cricket.

Thereafter, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and a World XI team also toured the country. South Africa will be touring Pakistan for the first time since 2007. It was the same year when a bomb attack took place in the convoy of Benazir Bhutto, the slain Prime Minister, in Karachi. The incident happened on the airport road where at least 200 people lost their lives.

The South Africans were playing at Multan at that point in time, but instead of returning midway, they completed the tour. However, the last match was shifted from Karachi to Lahore due to security reasons. For the upcoming tour, personal of the Police and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) will be there for the visiting team when they commute from hotel to ground.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has also prepared a bio-security plan. Moreover, South Africa will be undergoing an isolation period after which they could start training and taking part in intra-squad matches. CSA has already announced a 21-player extended squad and speedster Kagiso Rabada has made his way back into the scheme of things after recovering from injury.