“Players Will Not Be Entirely Comfortable Touring Pakistan” : Tim Paine

Australia are all set for a multi-format tour of Pakistan in March-April 2022, playing in the nation for the first time since 1998. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced details for the seven-match tour on Monday. Tim Paine will lead the Aussie side in the three-match Test series. Ahead of the tour to Pakistan, Paine said that some players might not be comfortable touring the county after the recent developments.

New Zealand and England withdrew from playing in Pakistan after reaching the country due to security concerns. As the board is trying its best to ensure that the tour is on, the disinterest of some of the Australian players might end up this tour being cancelled as well.

CONFIRMED: Australia will tour Pakistan in March-April 2022 for three Tests, three ODIs and a single T20I across Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore pic.twitter.com/llhGFit9xo

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 8, 2021

Australia will tour Pakistan in March-April next year for three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I. “There’ll be some guys who will be happy to take the experts’ advice and others will want to know a bit more. If we’re totally honest, there might be some people who aren’t comfortable going regardless,” Paine said on SEN Radio, as reported by Sydney Morning Herald.

“That’s happened before with tours going to other countries going back forever. Again there are issues that will I’m sure pop up. We’ll discuss it, people get the right answers and feel comfortable, then we’ll get hopefully the best team we can. At the end of the day, it comes down to the individual,” he added.

Tim Paine remembered his last tour to the country in 2017 when he was a part of the World XI team that took part in an exhibition series.

There might be some people who aren’t comfortable going to Pakistan: Tim Paine

“The security that we had on that tour was unlike anything that I’ve ever seen in my life. We had helicopters overhead, roads shut down five kilometres around us, checkpoints like every kilometre into the ground, it was extraordinary,” said Paine.

“The fact you’re seeing it and thinking to yourself it may be necessary can be a bit unnerving, but at the same time to see the planning and execution of it, with literally a couple of choppers above your bus 20-30 metres above your head was comforting but also unnerving at the same time,” he added.

Australia vs Pakistan 2022, Fixtures

Tests

3-7 Mar – 1st Test, Karachi
12-16 Mar – 2nd Test, Rawalpindi
21-25 Mar – 3rd Test, Lahore

ODIs

29 Mar – 1st ODI, Lahore
31 Mar – 2nd ODI, Lahore
2 Apr – 3rd ODI, Lahore

T20I

5 Apr – only T20I, Lahore