Cricket Australia approve revised schedule for Pakistan tour in March

Cricket Australia confirmed at a board meeting on Friday it would slightly revise the March tour of Pakistan's schedule but was otherwise satisfied with the security protocols provided to the team.

The first Test will now start in Rawalpindi on March 4, rather than Karachi the day previous.

Karachi will host the second Test and Lahore the third, with Rawalpindi to host all limited-overs matches.

It comes after Pakistan was forced to host Australia in the United Arab Emirates on several occasions since 1998, due to security concerns.

That move was first sparked by the onset of war in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2001, after the September 11 attacks in the US, and before the 2009 bombing of a Sri Lanka team bus.

As recently as last September, New Zealand pulled out of their tour to Pakistan on the morning of their scheduled first match in Rawalpindi, citing a «specific and credible threat against the team», throwing fresh doubt on Australia's tour.

However, CA board members announced on Friday they were happy for the series to proceed after a reconnaissance mission late last year.

«I would like to thank the PCB and both the Pakistan and Australian governments for ensuring the tour will proceed for the first time in 24 years,» Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said.

«This is a historic occasion and important for the global growth and health of the game.»

Players will still be allowed to decide if they feel comfortable touring, with captain Pat Cummins admitting on Thursday some still had questions.

«I think we'll get close to a full-strength squad,» he said.

«There is still a little bit of work to do. We have received a lot of information and it has been great.

»All the pre-tour security and biosecurity work has been done