Cricket Australia chief insists Pakistan tour will go ahead despite Covid spike

Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive Nick Hockley has said that his team is committed to touring Pakistan in March next year and the series won’t be cancelled despite fresh concerns emerging over the new Omicron strain of COVID-19.

Australia are scheduled to tour Pakistan for three Tests, three ODIs and a one-off T20, with the month-long series beginning on March 3. This will be Australia’s first Test tour of the country in 24 years.

Due to the security issues in Pakistan, the two countries have met only in Australia, UAE and England since 1998.

“We just had a team go over to Pakistan,” Hockley said on Sunday. “We are working closely with the PCB and all the authorities. It’s a really complex endeavour, we are very committed to touring. It is absolutely our intention to tour as long as it is safe to do so.”

Australia will also tour India and Sri Lanka next year after not playing a Test overseas since the 2019 Ashes finale at The Oval.