PCB to enforce top security plan for series vs Australia

A senior Pakistan Cricket Board official today said all security related matters had been sorted out with their Australian counterparts, who were satisfied with the arrangements for the one-day cricket series to be held on schedule from April 22 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

"We have agreed upon the MoU for the series and we have taken great pains to enforce a top security plan for the series," Saleem Altaf, chief operating officer of the Board said.

Altaf said the PCB was coordinating the security plan for the series with the Emirates Cricket Board, the Abu Dhabi and Dubai authorities and keeping the International cricket Council in touch with the arrangements.

"The security plan is so extensive that the teams would be escorted by armed convoy from hotel to the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and taken from there by another armed convey," he said.

Altaf said the board was taking no chances at all with the security and would also give an extensive briefing on this to ICC officials in Dubai before the start of the series. He admitted the Australians had been very particular about the security arrangements for the series and the PCB has done its best to satisfy them with cooperation of the host Board and authorities.

"Private bodyguards would be hired accordingly by the security consultants in Dubai," Altaf said.

The PCB official said though the series was clashing with the Indian Premier League but it still expected a good turnout for the series and interest among television viewers worldwide.

"Pakistan is playing Australia after nearly four years and there is a big interest in the series already," he said.

He said sponsors for the series would also be announced by Friday as things were final now with the sponsors.

The PCB, sources say, has suffered a setback in acquiring sponsorship for the series of five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match.

"The Board had kept a price of $1.1 million for the bundle sponsorship rights of the series but due to shortage of time they have been forced to accept an offer of around $4,50,000," one well-informed source said.