FICA AWAITS SECURITY REPORT ON WORLD XI’S LAHORE TOUR
KARACHI The Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) is waiting for a report from security experts before it responds officially to the planned tour of the World Eleven to Lahore next month. The security report by Reg Dickason who works with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will decide whether FICA support the World Eleven tour. “Dickason has been to Lahore last month to study the ground realities there and get a briefing on the security arrangements for the World Eleven tour. He will give his report this week to FICA,” said a PCB source aware of the developments. Former Zimbabwean Test batsman Andy Flower is working on behalf of the PCB and ICC to put together the World Eleven team. The source confirmed that top players are being offered sums between $75 and 100,000 for the three T20 matches in Lahore between September 11 and 19 and a pre-tour camp in Dubai. “The ICC, ECB and some member boards are supportive of the tour but the Pakistan board (PCB) also has to give the final go-ahead for the security arrangements for the tour,” he said. He said PCB top officials have started a series of meetings with the Punjab government and interior ministry to get security clearance for the tour. Flower, who remained head coach of England until 2015 and also works as technical director with the ECB, has been tasked with coaching and managing the World XI. “The PCB is keen to have the three matches in Lahore as they would be high profile and give the board a strong platform to convince other teams to tour Pakistan coupled with the successful hosting of the Pakistan Super League final earlier this year in Lahore,” the source said. The source said when the PSL final was held Dickason and other security experts had come to Lahore to inspect the security arrangements for themselves. “The PCB has been cooperating fully with the security experts so that FICA can also be convinced about players’ safety in Lahore.”