Pakistan send security team to UAE

The PCB has sent a two-man security team to the UAE to assess the arrangements for Pakistan's five-ODI series against Australia in Abu Dhabi and Dubai starting later this month. The board is taking all precautions to protect the players following the terror strikes in Lahore last month in the middle of the Test series against Sri Lanka.

"Since the March 3 attacks, there is a heightened security need for all sports in the world and hopefully we will finalise the best security in cooperation with the UAE government," Salim Altaf, the PCB's chief operating officer, told AFP.

"Police officials in Dubai and Abu Dhabi will give a presentation to our team and hopefully we will finalise things in the next couple of days."

Australia were expected to tour Pakistan for a Test and ODI tour this year after their scheduled visit in 2008 failed to materialise over security fears. With cricket in Pakistan now at a standstill, the board had to turn to neutral venues in countries like UAE and England which have a sizeable expat community.

The sprawling Dubai Sports City - which has never hosted an international match before - will host the first two one-dayers, starting April 22, and the Twenty20 on May 7. The remaining three ODIs will be played in Abu Dhabi between those dates.