Indian delegation happy with arrangements

The three-member BCCI team, currently in Pakistan to assess the security measures taken for the Indian cricket team's tour in March, expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made after visiting the stadium in Peshawar.

"We are satisfied with the (security) measures being planned by Pakistan," said Ratnakar Shetty, joint secretary of the BCCI. He, along with Yashovardhan Azad, the Inspector General of Police, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Amrit Mathur, the BCCI media manager, will do the rounds of the venues in Pakistan, with special attention paid to security and the facilities available.

Meanwhile, Tasneem Noorani, a secretary in Pakistan's interior ministry, said that the Pakistani government was not aware of any specific threats issues against Indian cricketers. Reacting to news reports that Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly faced death threats from certain militant groups, Noorani said he was unaware of such a thing.

"It appears that concerns were due to threats they might have received in the past," he said. "There are no known threats from any of the groups. The whole thing is being exaggerated. It appears that someone is out to give ideas to unwanted elements."

No dates have yet to be announced for the tour, though it has been suggested that Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar will host the three Tests.