Australia to tour Pakistan in 2009 and 2010

Australia will travel to Pakistan twice over the next two years to make up for its canceled tour in March and April over security concerns.

Cricket Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board said Monday that Australia will tour Pakistan in April/May of 2009 for a one-day series and then return in 2010 for a three-match test series.

Pakistan will also travel to Australia in 2009-10 for a previously scheduled tour, which includes three tests.

On March 11, Cricket Australia postponed its tour to Pakistan just hours after two bombs killed at least 15 people and injured many more in the eastern city of Lahore.

The tour, which had been scheduled to start March 29, had been in jeopardy due to security concerns expressed by Australian players and officials amid a wave of violence that swirled around the Feb.18 elections in Pakistan.

Pakistan hopeful of Australia tour in October

Pakistan Cricket Board is hopeful South Africa will tour the country in October to play Tests so that the national cricketers get to play maximum amount of cricket.

Dr Nasim Ashraf told Geo Super that the board is doing its best to ensure Pakistan continues to play quality cricket at home.

He however, said Pakistan Cricket Board was not contacted by the England Cricket Board for a series between Australia and Pakistan in England.

PCB has roped in Bangladesh for a one-day series in April and is in negotiations with Sri Lanka for a five-match series after Australia pulled out of its tour earlier this month.

Nasim Ashraf to talk with CA to re-schedule Pakistan tour

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf has been invited to Australia for high-level talks with Cricket Australia (CA) to re-schedule the April tour postponed last week.

CA chairman Creagh O'Connor extended the invite as a way of confirming Australia's commitment to fulfilling their tour obligations despite withdrawing from next month's scheduled visit to Pakistan due to security concerns.

O'Connor said it had become clear to him that further in-depth talks were required to find a place and time for the series amid a cramped international schedule sure to be compressed further by the rise of the cashed up Indian Twenty20 Premier League.

Ashraf is also keen to speak with security advisers and officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to gain a better understanding of why CA abandoned the tour.

"Dr Ashraf and I have taken the opportunity to catch up during the current International Cricket Council board meeting in Dubai and we have had a preliminary look at dates which might be suitable to reschedule the matches,"

O'Connor said.

"It is clear from our initial discussion here in Dubai that we need to sit down and go through the technical issues on finding new dates with a fine tooth comb.

"To that end, I have suggested we meet in Melbourne as soon as possible and we will organise dates once the current ICC meetings are finalised."

Pakistan hope to face Australia within a year

Pakistan Cricket Board will look to reschedule Australia's Test tour in November or next March after the original trip was postponed on Tuesday.

Australia's players are relieved the decision was made to cancel the visit over security and saftey concerns, but they are still due in the country for the Champions Trophy tournament in October, an event David Morgan, the ICC president-elect, wants to go ahead as planned.

Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, said in an interview that Cricket Australia had asked the hosts to propose a new date.

"We have looked at the international schedule and all of the other factors, and we think either November this year or March next year would be a good time for the tour to go ahead,"

Naghmi said.

"If it was to proceed in November, it would most likely be a split tour, with the Australians then coming back in March.

"But if it were to take place in March, it would be a full tour. From reading James Sutherland's statements, I think he favours March."

Australia are also due in India in October and will host a Test series against New Zealand and start a contest with South Africa before the end of 2008.

Both the PCB and the Australian government do not believe the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is due to start on April 18, had any influence on the team staying home.

"There have been suggestions that somehow the decision by Cricket Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board is related to proposed Twenty20 games in India,"

Stephen Smith, Australia's foreign minister, said in the Australian.

"I absolutely reject that suggestion. From the first time I had a conversation with Cricket Australia about this matter, I was absolutely convinced that CA had the security, safety and welfare of their players and any members of a touring party uppermost in their minds."

The window in the calendar theoretically frees Australia's players to take part in the lucrative IPL, but there have been suggestions Cricket Australia will stage a short limited-overs series before leaving for the West Indies on May 10. However, Tim Nielsen, the national coach, has not finalised Australia's schedule and believes Twenty20 games would be good preparation.

"As long as it fits in and Cricket Australia is comfortable with it, I don't have any problem,"

Nielsen told the Age.

"It is nice that they can play some competitive cricket. I always encourage guys to be playing county cricket when it fits in because it is nice to be playing competitive, organised cricket. It is probably the best preparation they can get to put their bodies through those sorts of workloads."

Michael Clarke and Stuart Clark joined Matthew Hayden and Brett Lee in welcoming the decision to pull out of the tour.

"I don't think 'disappointed' is the right word - I'm rapt Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association made the decision and it didn't have to come down to individual players,"

Clarke told AAP.

"I'm very relieved and happy they've done that for the playing group."

Clark said the squad was worried about the situation in Pakistan.

"I don't think anyone likes it when a cricket tour gets called off because that's our job, but there were obviously concerns from everyone involved,"

he said.

"We were getting third-hand information, reading the papers and listening to the news on the TV and we were obviously getting the sensational news about bombings and stuff like that."

Oz Government Rubbish Rumours

Australia's foreign minister has dismissed suggestions that his nation's tour of Pakistan was scrapped because of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The world champions announced on Tuesday that they would postpone their tour of the troubled country, which has witnessed a spate of suicide bombings since the general election.

But Australia have not actually toured Pakistan since 1998 and the fact that a number of their senior players have signed up to the inaugural IPL, which begins on April 18, has raised suspicion in some circles.

Foreign minister Stephen Smith has denied the new Twenty20 tournament entered into the decision process though, with Cricket Australia (CA) now looking to arrange a one-day series in the unscheduled six-week gap that exists.

"I have seen suggestions that somehow the decision by Cricket Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board is related to proposed Twenty20 games in India. I absolutely reject that suggestion,"

Smith said.

"What was most concerning for Cricket Australia was the safety, security and welfare of their players on any proposed tour."

Pakistan coach Lawson slams Australia postponement

Pakistan cricket coach Geoff Lawson said Australia's decision to call off their tour over security fears on Tuesday was disappointing and unjustified.

Lawson, a former Australia paceman, lashed out after the tour scheduled for March-April was postponed following a double bomb attack in the eastern city of Lahore that killed at least 21 people.

"I don't think they (Australia) are justified in postponing the series. I am living in Pakistan and feel secure,"

Lawson told reporters.

"I am disappointed, although it was expected. It is a shame that we are not playing Australia at a time when they are beatable."

The tour was due to begin on March 29 and Lahore was one of the venues where Australia were due to play.

Lawson said the postponement would have multiple effects on Pakistani cricket.

"There is an immediate disappointment of not having the best team in Pakistan and it's a loss for players, fans, administrators who lose quality cricket,"

he said.

"It may have a major effect in the short term and it's up to the PCB to assure that it will not have a major effect in the longer run,"

he added, referring to the Pakistan Cricket Board.

"I think the Australians should have come here full steam ahead,"

Lawson, who took up his position last August to replace the late Bob Woolmer, told the Australian Associated Press here.

"Bombs do go off. You can't argue with that. But they're focused on particular targets that have nothing to do with sport, and particularly nothing to do with cricket."

Bangladesh agree to tour Pakistan next month

Minnows Bangladesh said Tuesday they would tour Pakistan next month after world champions Australia postponed a cricket series there over security fears.

Cricket Australia Tuesday told Pakistan authorities that their team's upcoming tour starting late this month was postponed, but not cancelled, though no new date has yet been set.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf told a press conference they had contacted other countries as potential replacements and hoped Bangladesh would come instead, and later Tuesday the PCB got its wish.

"We have accepted Pakistan's proposal to play five one-day matches and a Twenty20 match in Pakistan in April,"

Bangladesh Cricket Board official Gazi Ashaf Hossain Lipu confirmed in Dhaka.

"We will meet soon to fix the dates and venues of the matches."

Pakistan last month also invited India for five one-day matches as an alternative if the Australians refused to tour, but the arch-rivals turned down the invitation citing a busy schedule.

Ashraf said he hoped the Australia tour would be rescheduled once they get security clearance.

"The Australian series is not cancelled, it is postponed for the time-being and we hope that once their security team gives clearance Australia tour us whenever they get a time slot,"

said Ashraf.

The PCB chief denied that Pakistan faced financial losses because of the postponement.

"Since the series will be played we are not going to lose any finances and we are sure that it will be rescheduled,"

said Ashraf.

He said the PCB had insured the Australian series with a British-based company for a sum of seven million dollars -- the reported value of an Australian series in television rights.

Ashraf said he would meet CA chairman Creagh O'Connor in Dubai next week.

"We have conveyed our disappointment over the tour postponement and now I am going to meet the CA chairman in Dubai on March 17 where we will talk about the series and other matters relating to the series."

Pakistan managed to avoid any financial losses when they were forced to play their home series on neutral grounds in 2001 and 2002, also amid security fears.

The West Indies and Australia refused to tour Pakistan because of security fears following the 9/11 attacks on the United States and the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, which borders Pakistan.

This time Pakistan refused to switch the Australian series to neutral venues.

Australia says Pakistan tour unlikely before 2009

Cricket Australia on Tuesday postponed a scheduled tour to Pakistan due to security fears and said it was unlikely to proceed before 2009.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said his organisation had no alternative but to postpone the tour, which was due to begin later this month, given the security situation in Pakistan.

"Our absolute priority has been the security and safety of our players and our employees,"

he told reporters in an announcement that came as two explosions rocked the city of Lahore, killing at least 20 people

"We've left no stone unturned, we wanted to play this tour."

He said CA acted on advice from the Australian government and its own advisers.

While CA said in a statement that it hoped the tour could be rescheduled "in the near future", Sutherland made it clear that it would not happen before next year at the earliest.

"There's a couple of windows in 2009 and 2010 and there might be a little bit of massaging in order to make that happen,"

he said.

Officials from both countries are scheduled to meet in Dubai next weekend to discuss possible dates for the deferred tour.

Sutherland denied that pressure from Australian players was behind the decision.

"I understand that some players may have had feelings about the tour, but from CA's perspective we had absolute obligations were were committed to under the Future Tours programme,"

he said.

"If the safety and security warnings had been sufficient for us to tour then we'd have toured."

The Australian government, which has a travel advisory warnings against travel to Pakistan, said it was pleased with the decision.

"I welcome today's decision by Cricket Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board to postpone the Australian Cricket Team's planned tour of Pakistan,"

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said.

"The agreement reached between the two boards is a welcome outcome in light of the uncertainty surrounding the tour."

Sutherland said neutral venues had been considered but the final decision on them had been up to Pakistan, which was "desperate for the tour to proceed on its home soil.

Asked if Australia had not cancelled the tour outright because it feared a fine from the International Cricket Council, Suther land replied:

"It's not that easy to answer that question simply, there's a process that is in place under the ICC regulations and we've done everything in accordance with those regulations."

CA chairman Creagh O'Connor said in a joint statement with the PCB that it had been a difficult decision.

"We wish no loss to Pakistan Cricket Board and look forward to undertaking this tour in the near future,"

he said.

In the statement, PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf expressed disappointment at the decision.

"I guess there is not much we could do and sincerely hope that the tour of Australia to Pakistan can materialise at the earliest opportunity."

Government Advice Prompted Oz To Pull Out

Cricket Australia took the decision to postpone their tour of Pakistan on government advice, according to chief executive James Sutherland.

Sutherland confirmed the one-day world champions would not be travelling to Pakistan for a three-Test series, which was scheduled to start on March 29, due to security concerns.

There have been a number of bomb blasts in Pakistan since the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto - the latest of which occurred in Lahore and is reported to have killed 24 people.

"Ultimately the starting point is to look at the Federal Government's advice to Australian travellers to Pakistan and it's not favourable,"

Sutherland said.

"The question for us was to then have a closer look and say what are the implications for the Australian cricket team given those quite serious warnings that are in place on the DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) website?"

The Australian players, particularly all-rounder Andrew Symonds, had expressed their concerns about going to Pakistan but Sutherland said this was not a factor in Australia postponing the tour.

"We understand some players may have had feelings about the tour but from Cricket Australia's perspective we had an absolute obligation that we were committed to (going to Pakistan) under the future tours programme and if the safety and security warnings had been sufficient for us to tour then we would have toured."

Cricket Australia (CA) told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) they were willing to play the series in a third country.

But the PCB instead agreed to postpone the series in the hope it could be re-scheduled in Pakistan at a later date following a week of deliberations.

Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998 with the three-Test series in 2002 staged at neutral venues in Colombo in Sri Lanka and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

Sutherland is hopeful Australia might be able to tour Pakistan in 2009 or 2010 provided the security situation improves in a country which has seen more than 600 people die in suicide attacks this year alone.

"We want the tour to go ahead, we want to play cricket against Pakistan and we want to play ideally in Pakistan but right now it's not appropriate to be playing in Pakistan,"

Sutherland added.

"But that is not to say that at some stage in the not too distant future things won't have settled down and we will be able to play in Pakistan.

"There are a couple of windows in 2009 and 2010 and it might take a little bit of massaging in order to make that happen but that is what we are setting our sights on at the moment."

Sutherland said he could understand the PCB not moving the series to a neutral venue given the 2002 series was played in front of almost empty stadia.

"Playing at a neutral venue was one of the options that was certainly put on the table but at the end of the day that is something for the Pakistan Cricket Board because it's their tour and we certainly sympathise with their position in that they desperately want the tour to go ahead in Pakistan."

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have the power to fine Cricket Australia if it was felt there was insufficient justification for refusing to tour.

But the ICC insist that was not on their agenda.

"No, since it was a mutual decision between the two cricket boards there is no question of the ICC imposing any fines,"

a spokesman told PA Sport.

"It is a joint declaration, it is not a cancellation, it is a postponement.

"Both the boards can mutually postpone a tour.

"It has happened in the past, it is a decision the boards have taken so we support it."

Pakistan cricket chief Nasim Ashraf insisted conditions in the country remained conducive to hosting international sporting events despite Australia's decision to postpone their tour.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ashraf said:

"We maintain conditions are still conducive to hold cricket events in Pakistan.

"Our security plans have also been very good. Teams have toured Pakistan in recent times and have had no problems.

"The Australians have based their decision on their own assessment of the security situation in Pakistan."

ICC Back Australia`s Withdrawal

The International Cricket Council have endorsed Cricket Australia's decision to postpone their tour of Pakistan.

CA insist they had "no alternative" but to pull out due to security concerns after a series of bomb blasts in Pakistan in recent weeks - the latest of which occurred in Lahore and is reported to have killed 15 people.

The ICC claim the postponement was a mutual decision.

An ICC spokesman said:

"It is a joint declaration, it is not a cancellation, it is a postponement.

"Both the boards can mutually postpone a tour.

"It has happened in the past, it is a decision the boards have taken so we support it."

The ICC have the power to fine Cricket Australia if it was felt there was insufficient justification for refusing to tour.

But the ICC insist that was not on their agenda.

"No, since it was a mutual decision there is no question of the ICC imposing any fines,"

added the spokesman.

Cricket Australia told the PCB they were willing to play the three Test series - which had already been put back to March 29 and shortened to just one month - in a third country.

But the PCB instead agreed to postpone the series in the hope it could be re-scheduled in Pakistan at a later date following a week of deliberations.

Australia has not toured Pakistan since 1998 with the three Test series in 2002 staged at neutral venues in Colombo in Sri Lanka and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

Australian tour to Pakistan postponed

JOINT CRICKET AUSTRALIA/PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD MEDIA RELEASE

Cricket Australia (CA) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have announced that the Australian Cricket team tour to Pakistan scheduled for March/April 2008 has been postponed.

New dates for the tour will be decided in the near future.

The Chairmen of the two boards will meet in Dubai next weekend to further discuss possible dates for the deferred tour.

The ICC Future Tours Program is complex and changes require extensive consultation with other member boards with whom Australia and Pakistan have existing commitments. This process will be undertaken over coming weeks.

Commenting on the decision, CA Chairman Mr Creagh O’Connor said:

"We are very sorry that the tour could not take place at this time.

"This was a difficult decision based on independent review of the circumstances prevailing in Pakistan at the moment.

"We wish no loss to Pakistan Cricket Board and look forward to undertaking this tour in the near future".

PCB Chairman Dr. Nasim Ashraf said:

"We are obviously very disappointed at this decision.

"I guess there is not much we could do and sincerely hope that the tour of Australia to Pakistan can materialise at the earliest opportunity.

Final decision on Pak-Australia series likely tomorrow

The final decision on Pak-Australia series is likely tomorrow (Tuesday) after telephonic talk of Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Dr. Nasim Ashraf with the authorities of Cricket Australia.

Nasim Ashraf while talking to newsmen here said that in spite of efforts telephonic contact could not be established with Cricket Australia Monday and he hoped he will be in touch with Cricket Australia tomorrow to know about their decision regarding Pakistan tour.

However, he said,

“ Its hoped that Australian Cricket team will tour Pakistan the to play the series between the two countries.”

Australia set to decide on Pakistan tour this week

Cricket Australia said Monday a decision on whether the national team will tour Pakistan later this month is expected to be made by the end of the week.

Cricket Australia chairman Creagh O'Connor and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) counterpart Nasim Ashraf are scheduled to have a talk by telephone this week to discuss the situation with the tour considered in major doubt.

"The next step will be the phone conversation -- we are waiting for that to take place,"

the Australian body's spokesman Peter Young said Monday.

Australian players have expressed reservations over the security situation in Pakistan following a spate of suicide bombings.

"Clearly the clock is ticking and there is a sense of expectation where we will reach a point certainly no later than this week on working out exactly what is happening,"

Young said.

The proposed tour has been compressed into a month, starting on March 29, and PCB officials have said they are against moving Australia's tour outside of Pakistan because of its long-term impact on cricket in the country.

The Australian team has not played in Pakistan for a decade. In 2002 a series that was scheduled for Pakistan was shifted to Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.

The PCB has promised to provide extra security for the Australian players.

Cricket officials met with Australia's foreign ministry in Canberra last week to get the latest updates on the situation inside Pakistan before making their tour decision.

Pakistan Rule Out Neutral Venue

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf has ruled out the possibility of moving this month's proposed home series against Australia to a neutral venue.

Tim Nielsen's side were due to arrive on the sub-continent on March 29 but recent security concerns in Pakistan have again put the tour in doubt with Cricket Australia (CA) reassessing the situation.

The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) also refused to send their chief executive, Paul Marsh, to review security arrangements in the country with reports suggesting the fixtures could now be switched to a neutral venue in order to ensure the tour goes ahead.

Ashraf has denied any such developments, though.

"The PCB will not shift the series to any other venue and all such reports regarding the board considering other options are total rubbish,"

he told the Dawn.

"The PCB has already rejected such a proposal made by CA during a meeting in Dubai last month because we feel that it will damage our cricket.

"If today we decide in favour of a neutral venue, the other teams will also make it a practice and that will only harm the game."

Pakistan's foreign affairs department has briefed both CA and the ACA regarding the security arrangements in the country and the PCB are now awaiting the final verdict.

"We did not receive any call from CA after the briefing,"

Ashraf continued.

"I don't know what the latest is in Australia after the briefing but the PCB is ready to assure them top-level security in Pakistan.

"We are hosting the Asia Cup in July and the entire world will see how safe Pakistan is as far as cricket is concerned. I believe Pakistan is as safe for cricket as it was a year ago.

"During the past year we have successfully hosted West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe besides playing matches here against Australia A and other junior outfits."

Terrorists to be victors if Australia team cancels Pakistan tour: Geoff Lawson

Pakistan's Australian coach Geoff Lawson says the terrorists will be the victors if Cricket Australia withdraws from its scheduled tour of the country.

He said in an interview:

"It is just the terrorists who are succeeding if this tour does not go ahead.

"The effect will be that the cultural interests of Pakistan will be destroyed in the short-term and who knows what will happen in the long-term?"

CA is investigating security issues in Pakistan before making a decision.

But with the tour due to start later in March, an announcement could come before the end of the week.

Doubts have been raised due to the region's unstable political situation since former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated last December.

But Lawson said:

"I'm an Australian living in Lahore, and have a far greater knowledge of what goes on day by day.

"We want the tour to go ahead for lots of reason, not just about cricket, for bigger reasons than that.

"You follow daily the happenings of suicide bombers and I can understand a not too attractive picture being painted.

"But in reality life goes on just as normal, it doesn't affect people like me and it would not affect a cricket tour in any shape or form. "Getting that message across is very difficult."

Australian Tour: ICC to send security team to Pakistan

International Cricket Council (ICC) would send a security team to Pakistan to review law and order situation and prepare a report in connection with Australian cricket team’s tour to Pakistan.

Sources said that Australian cricket team tour is in jeopardy after latest wake of terrorism in Pakistan. The team would prepare a report and give its recommendations whether Australia could visit Pakistan or not.

If security team declare tour as dangerous than Australia would escape from the penalty of 2 million dollars.

Earlier, an Australian newspaper claimed that team Australia had canceled Pakistan tour but still waiting for a formal proposal from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Meanwhile, media director of PCB Sohail Mansoor had denied the reports of official cancellation of Australian tour.

Australia cancels cricket team’s tour of Pakistan

Australia’s newspapers have claimed that the Australian cricket team’s tour of Pakistan has been cancelled. However, if the ICC investigates the security arrangements in Pakistan through independent sources then there may be any chance of the tour.

The Australian cricket team’s tour of Pakistan has become doubtful after the recent wave of terrorism in Pakistan.

The Aussie press claims that the security situation in Pakistan has not been improved and the tour is not possible in such situation.

Australian newspaper ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ claimed that the series against Paksitan has been cancelled but if it is held at any neutral venue then Australia can play. However, a formal proposal in this regard is being awaited from the Pakistan Cricket Board.

On the other hand, another Australian newspaper said that the Australian team’s tour of Pakistan is not possible due to deteriorating security situation of Pakistan.

However, if the ICC investigates the security in Pakistan through independent sources then in case of a positive decision the tour can be considered.

The newspaper said that due to security situation in Pakistan the Australian government is advising all its citizens not to go to Pakistan.

The paper said that the Australian consulates in Lahore and Karachi, which are the venues of the scheduled matches, have been closed as these cities are also facing terrorism.

However, PCB media director Sohail Mansoor has officially contradicted the news of the cancellation of the tour.

Australia’s tour of Pakistan cancelled: claims Aussie media

Australian newspapers claimed on Thursday that the scheduled Australian cricket team’s tour of Pakistan, has been cancelled.

However, no official confirmation in this regard has been received from the Cricket Australia or the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Shifting series to neutral venue not accepted: PCB

Chief operating officer Pakistan Cricket Board Shafqat Naghmi said that the option of shifting the cricket series with Australia to any neutral venue would not be acceptable to Pakistan.

Talking with media at the National Cricket Academy Lahore, Shafqat Naghmi said that the Australian team officials would decide today about their tour of Pakistan after a meeting with their foreign office.

He said that to shift the series to any other place is not a good thing for cricket and nor such tradition should be adopted.

He said that the PCB would not consider any such option.

PCB has not received cancellation of Australia security team visit

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not received any official intimation from Cricket Australia (CA) regarding cancellation of their security team visit to Pakistan.

“We have not received any such official information from CA and it is premature to say something on the issue at this stage”,

officials sources said on Monday.

They said PCB is in touch with CA regarding the visit of Australian team to Pakistan and hopefully they will be receiving some information regarding the visit of security team in next few days.

The security team is scheduled to visit here shortly to review security situation ahead of their team’s tour to Pakistan in which it will play three test matches and five one day international.

“There are some reports from players association of Australia in which they have expressed their reservations regarding security issues and it is not fair to relate it with the CA or with the visit of the security team”,

they added.

They said the visit of Australia security team is on and its exact dates will be confirmed shortly after getting reply from CA.