KARACHI, Pakistan (AFP)
New Zealand and Australian cricket board officials are due in Pakistan tomorrow to check security arrangements ahead of their forthcoming tours. Jeff Crowe, New Zealand's team manager, Richard Watson, the Australian Cricket Board's general manager of cricket operations, and Tim May, the president of the Australian Players' Association, will visit the scheduled venues and check security.

"These officials are arriving in Pakistan for pre-tour reconnaissance, and we hope they would find no problems in Pakistan," Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Brigadier Munawwar Rana told AFP. He added: "It's part and parcel of every tour that officials come and see for themselves the arrangements and security."

New Zealand are likely to reschedule their tour of Pakistan, which is due to include two Tests and three one-day internationals, in April-May. Their original tour was cancelled four days after the September 11 attacks on the United States, which triggered security fears in and around Pakistan as the US-led war on terrorism began in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Australia are scheduled to tour Pakistan for three Tests and three ODIs in September-October.

"We have been maintaining that security fears are media-hyped and cricket is safe in Pakistan," said Rana. "Pakistan's interior ministry has also given full assurances of security to the New Zealand Board so we hope that all will settle down after that."

Ian Chappell, the former Australian captain, had said that no team would like to play in Pakistan after the United States launched its war in Afghanistan in October. West Indies refused to tour Pakistan in January, citing fears for players' security in the wake of the Afghan war and tension on the Pakistan-India border. Pakistan were forced to shift the series to Sharjah, where it was played earlier this month.

Tension on the Pakistan-India border lingers, as New Delhi continues to refuse Islamabad's request for talks, demanding that Pakistan must hand over terrorists involved in causing trouble in their country.

Pakistan played only one Test at home in 2001 – when they hosted Bangladesh at Multan a fortnight before the suicide attacks on New York and Washington.

The Asian Cricket Council earlier this month threatened that New Zealand – or any other country refusing to tour Pakistan – would be boycotted if they refused to travel there.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd