'People have a xenophobic view of places like Pakistan'

Monica Attard speaks to Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson on ABC Sydney.

Geoff Lawson: In 1980 the Australian cricket team was sent to Pakistan for the first tour since 1956. Russia had just invaded Afghanistan, the neighbouring country. There were tanks, fighter plans, troops. I would have considered it a thousand times more dangerous than it is now and yet we went off and played no problems. I would have thought security was minimal. We went and played our cricket, did what we had to do in conditions, and I'm talking hotels, cricket grounds, the whole lot, considerably worse than what these players go through. So having been there in those circumstances, having been sent there and not even one consideration of not going.

Monica Attard: You don't think the situation is different now that cricket has such momentum in the subcontinent that perhaps they would target - terrorists might think to target cricketers? Geoff Lawson: Well, you can never say never. But that has not been - there has been no history of even random terrorism in Pakistan. We're talking about, as it happened in Jaipur the other day, bombs in market places. The targets have always 100% of the time been military, political or security forces.

Monica Attard: You feel quite safe there?

Geoff Lawson: Quite safe.