Australia are in Pakistan for the first time in 24 hours and both teams will be facing each other in three test matches and four white-ball games. This is Australia’s first visit to Pakistan in 24 years, following the 1998 tour of the country.
The tournament starts today with a three-match Test series, followed by an ODI series on March 29, and one T20 match on April 5. Meanwhile, a powerful bomb blast happened in Pakistan. This took place amid the Test opener between Pakistan and Australia in Rawalpindi. The incident happened 185 km away from the cricket stadium.
At least 30 people were killed and 56 wounded in a huge blast at a Shiite mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, a hospital official said on Friday. While, The Australian team’s security officials are cooperating with the Department of Foreign Affairs and accessing the situation, as per the Australian media reports.
“The Australian team has been granted the status of state guest,” Omer Saeed, City Police Officer for the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi, had earlier said about the steps Pakistan have taken to ensure the security of the visiting Australian team. “This status is only granted to world leaders or a PM or president coming from all over the world. The Australian team is coming after 24 years and it’s a great honour for us and a great honour for all Pakistanis that Australia has committed to sending its team and obviously, they are conscious of the security issues,” the police officer had said.
Notably, more than 4,000 security staff are providing protection for the match with roads blocked, and team moving around in armoured vehicles. According to reports that there are also snipers on the roof, bomb dogs and checkpoints checking every vehicle in the area.