By IANS
Karachi : Pakistan has assured South Africa of full security during its cricket team’s tour of the country later this month.
South Africa are due to play two Tests and five One-Day Internationals during a month-long stay in the violence-hit country. They will open the tour with a warm-up three-day match in Karachi from Sep 27.
The home secretary of Sindh province Saturday briefed a two-member Cricket South Africa (CSA) delegation on the security situation in this provincial capital Karachi.
“I have no doubts that Pakistan will provide us with the needed security and, god willing, everything will be alright,” The News Sunday quoted delegation head Goolam Raja as saying.
Raja and CSA member Sean Gallaher are touring Pakistan to assess security arrangements. Raja said a final report on security would be submitted to the CSA.
“It is difficult to say about our final assessments now but we will submit a report to CSA and hope everything will be in place for the tour,” Raja said.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director operations Zakir Khan said he was confident the tour would go through as planned.
“A professional security plan has been put in place for the South Africans and they were briefed. We hope everything will take place accordingly and we hope to have a good cricket series,” said Zakir.
The first of two Tests starts here Oct 1 and will be followed by the second Test in Lahore and the five one-day matches.
Citing security concerns, the International Hockey Federation (IHF) has shifted the Champions Trophy tournament out of the country.