Bangladesh check security at Pakistan stadium before test

Rawalpindi, Feb 4 (AP) A three-member security delegation from Bangladesh visited Pindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, a day before the national cricket team arrives for a Test against Pakistan. The delegation, led by retired Major Hussain Imam, met with security officials from the Pakistan government and the Pakistan Cricket Board before Bangladesh's first test in the country since 2003.

As Imam walked around the stadium, he was seen shaking hands with Pakistan players Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Afridi and Asad Shafiq as they practiced. Bangladesh arrives on Wednesday for the first test starting on Friday. Bangladesh will return in early April for a one-off one-day international and the second test at Karachi.

Bangladesh completed the first phase of the tour last month in Lahore where it lost the Twenty20 series 2-0. The third match was washed out. Bangladesh didn't want to stay for a longer period in Pakistan and agreed to tour only in three phases.

Leading Bangladesh player Mushfiqur Rahim opted out of the tour due to security concerns. In December, Sri Lanka toured Pakistan for 16 days and played two tests at Rawalpindi and Karachi without any untoward incident. It was the first test series in Pakistan in a decade after a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team bus at Lahore left eight people killed and injured several players. (AP) ATK

ATK