September 03, 2007	Monday	Sha'aban 20, 1428

LAHORE, Sept 2: A 12-member Australian ‘A’ cricket team, without two key players, Jason Gillespie and Stuart MacGill, arrived late on Saturday night to play three unofficial One-day Internationals and two unofficial four-day games in Pakistan.

Although no reasons have been given for their delayed arrival, Gillespie and MacGill, both Test cricketers, are scheduled here on Friday. This means that Australia will be playing its first two one-day matches on Sept 5 and 7 with all the 12 players in hand. The team is captained by Adam Voges.

The Australians’ arrival must have brought on a sigh of relief for cricket enthusiasts in Pakistan as well as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as this tour was under constant threat of getting cancelled due to security issues.

Even Hockey Australia had withdrawn from sending its team for December’s Champions Trophy, to be held in Lahore.

But as far as the case for cricket goes, Cricket Australia (CA) had sent out a security delegation in July, which visited Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Azad Kashmir, Sheikhupura and Lahore to check out the facilities. CA later recommended Faisalabad, Lahore and Sheikhupura, while dropping Rawalpindi and Azad Kashmir.

Cancelling their first training session on Sunday, the visitors instead preferred swimming in the hotel where they are staying in Lahore. They will now hold their first training session on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, a security officer for the Australian team, Eben Jefford, visited the Gaddafi Stadium, which is the venue of the first and third one-day matches, on Sept 5 and 9.

The Patron’s Enclosure will be serving the purpose of pavilion in the matches as the stadium’s dressing rooms are currently under renovation.

Besides the 12 players, a four-member team management is also touring Pakistan. Daryl Foster is visiting as manager with Dene Hills as coach and Kevin Sims as physio, besides Jefford.

The second one-day will be played at the Sheikhupura Stadium on Sept 7. The first four-day match will take place at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, from Sept 12 and the second at Lahore from Sept 19.

Squad: Adam Voges (captain), Cameron White (vice-captain), Cullen Bailey, Doug Bollinger, Luke Butterworth, Dan Cullen, James Hopes, David Hussey, Phil Jaques, Ashley Noffke, Chris Rogers, Luke Ronchi (wicket-keeper), Jason Gillespie, Stuart MacGill.