A four-member Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) delegation returned home after inspecting the five venues where the hotly-anticipated one-day and Twenty20 clashes will rekindle one of the greatest rivalries in world sport.
"India is eagerly waiting to host the Pakistan team," PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said on his return. "We are satisfied with the arrangements put in place and hope that it will be a fantastic series."
The delegation was headed by Ehsan Sadiq, PCB's director of security and vigilance and also included Usman Wahla, manager of international cricket and Sohail Khan, a senior officer with the Punjab Police.
India suspended all bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai, which left 166 people killed and were blamed on militants based across the border.
But in July this year the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) invited Pakistan to play a limited-overs series and the tour was cleared by New Delhi in October.
Pakistan team will fly to New Delhi on December 22 and will play the first Twenty20 in Bangalore three days later.
The second Twenty20 will be played in Ahmedabad on December 27 followed by one-day matches in Chennai (December 30), Kolkata (January 3) and New Delhi (January 6).
Sarwar said Pakistan expects the best security arrangements for the team.
"What we expect is fool-proof security for our players, and we expect that the capability that these cities have will provide that. A visa policy is also announced so it will be a great series," said Sarwar.
India announced it will issue 3,000 visas for Pakistan fans to watch the series and these will be processed quickly.
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Dear Pakistanis,
After the traumatic ordeal of your blind cricketer consuming detergent water(oops, I meant acid!), Indians fear about the level of security that can be provided for the imagined fears of Pakistanis.
Sure we can protect you from the shower of bullets on tour buses(the kind that occasionally plays out on your soil) but can that security protect Pakistanis from the perversity in their own minds? We are referring to the creative fables Pakistanis are known to think up and testify as the truth....
It wasn't soap water. I drank acid and lived to tell the tale about vindictive Hindus.
Malala wasn't shot by the Taliban. It was the brainchild of the omnipotent CIA-RAW-Mossad collective.
Yahoodis are the ones targeting the Pakistani Shias. That's just plain knowledge.
Unfortunately, Indians don't have an antidote for such hallucinations so we urge you to reconsider your tour. While you are at it, take back all the singers, students and B-grade starlets that you regularly send over as we can't guarantee their safety from imaginary episodes either. We look forward to your government cracking the whip and cutting off all ties with us.
You know what they say- Good fences make for healthy Pakistani dreams.
Sincerely,
Concerned Indians
Dhoni and his men are showing great hospitality to all international teams by losing all matches but hope this trend changes during Pakistan tour who normally choke against India.
@Shumaila Khan: what choice do you have ?
@Shumaila Khan: Well this is Pakistan not Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.
I doubt the Indian government will call off the tour, and welcome to India!! Of course, the way the Indian team is playing right now, the Pakistani team should probably tour Kenya to get some fight
Just shows how low our standard has become in last 2-3 decades.
Pakistan is happy with the arrangements despite of knowing what Indians were serving the blind team with?
Pakistan is happy with the arrangements despite of knowing what Indians were serving the blind team with?
Pakistanis, what now ? It looks like all your jumping up and down had no effect.
I don't know why this tour is being conducted. Indians don't want it. We are we becoming forced guests. Indians have made amply clear that they are not interested in any negotiation on any issue, no compromise, no sports, so whats the point? Pakistan government is fooling public that peace overtures are working, they are NOT! At least Indians have no interest in it, except to sell their trashy Bollywood movies or transport goods to Afghanistan through Pakistan.
I have a hunch this tour will be cancelled at the last moment by India.