'There might be some who aren’t comfortable going regardless' - Tim Paine on Australia's Pakistan tour

Australia Test skipper Tim Paine is unsure about the participation of all the players in the upcoming Pakistan tour. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on November 8 announced a full-fledged tour between the two sides, comprising three Tests, as many ODIs and a one-off T20I, with the series starting from March 5 in Karachi.

While the tour is highly likely to go ahead, it is understood that it is subjected to the final approval of a delegation of security officials from Cricket Australia (CA) who will travel to Pakistan later this year to inspect and monitor the situation before the final nod is given to the players.

Paine admitted that despite the approval of the security officials, some players might have some reservations about travelling to Pakistan. After all, only recently did New Zealand pull out of their limited-overs tour at the last moment citing security threats, following which England also cancelled their men’s and women’s tour.

“There’ll be some guys who will be happy to take the experts’ advice, and others will want to know a bit more. If we’re totally honest, there might be some people who aren’t comfortable going regardless. That’s happened before with tours going to other countries going back forever,” Paine told SEN Radio.

“Again, there are issues that will, I’m sure pop up. We’ll discuss it; people get the right answers and feel comfortable, then we’ll get hopefully the best team we can. At the end of the day, it comes down to the individual,” he added.

Paine, who was a part of the World XI team during an exhibition series played in Pakistan in 2017, recalled the arrangements and events from that time, admitting that the tour was “unlike anything I’ve seen” before.

“The security that we had on that tour was unlike anything that I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“We had helicopters overhead, roads shut down five kilometres around us, checkpoints like every kilometre into the ground, it was extraordinary.

“The fact you’re seeing it and thinking to yourself it may be necessary can be a bit unnerving, but at the same time to see the planning and execution of it, with literally a couple of choppers above your bus 20-30 metres above your head was comforting but also unnerving at the same time.”

If conducted successfully, it will be Australia’s first tour of Pakistan in 24 years, after Mark Taylor-led team won the 1998 Test series 1-0.

Pakistan vs Australia tour itinerary 

March 3-7: First Test, Karachi

March 12-16: Second Test, Rawalpindi

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

March 29: First ODI, Lahore

March 31: Second ODI, Lahore

April 2: Third ODI, Lahore

April 5: Only T20, Lahore