After Islamabad bombing, Cricket Australia sends security delegation to Lahore ahead of Pakistan T20I tour

Cricket Australia has sent a delegation to Lahore to assess existing security measures ahead of the upcoming tour. This team includes an independent security consultant as well as an official from Cricket Australia. Their itinerary includes visits to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the hotel where the Australian team will be staying. They will also contact PCB officials as well as representatives from government and security agencies.

The Australian team will tour Pakistan early next year and participate in the limited-overs series split into two stages. The first phase will include a three-match T20 series scheduled to be held in January, but the PCB is yet to announce the exact dates of these matches.

On November 11, a suicide attack was carried out outside a court in Islamabad. Following this incident, more than half of the Sri Lankan players withdrew from the ODI match on 13 November. Ultimately, the match went ahead after assurances about security from Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Asim Munir.

Australia are also expected to return to Pakistan in March for a three-match ODI series. There are rumors that this ODI series could be postponed and potentially take place before the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Looking back, on September 21, 2021, New Zealand had abruptly canceled their limited-overs series against Pakistan and returned home without playing a single match due to intelligence reports of a possible terrorist threat.

Moreover, 16 years ago, the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus was ambushed. In March 2009, TTP militants opened fire on the team bus near Gaddafi Stadium. Fortunately, there was no death, but many players were injured.

As a result, international cricket has been largely absent from Pakistan for almost a decade, with numerous foreign teams refusing to tour the country due to ongoing security concerns.

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