BRISBANE, Feb 3: Australian fast bowler Brett Lee said on Sunday that any decision on whether or not the world champions tour Pakistan next month was in the hands of Australian officials.

Lee was responding to reports from Pakistan that Zimbabwe’s successful tour there showed that it would be safe for Australia to undertake their scheduled visit in March and April.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said the Zimbabwe tour had been a test case for Australia.

“Now I can say with authority and pride that we have successfully hosted matches and hope that the world champions will tour,” Naghmi told AFP in Karachi.

“We hosted Zimbabwe matches in smaller centres like Hyderabad and Sheikhupura and hosting of these matches without any problems prove that there are no threats for players.”

Several Australian players have raised security concerns on touring Pakistan where the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto in December last year triggered widespread violence.

But Lee said he couldn’t comment on whether the Zimbabwe tour would have any bearing on a future Australian tour.

“We’ve got people on the ground over there and we’re just guided by Cricket Australia every single day as to what’s going to happen over there,” Lee said.

“It’s pretty much out of our hands – it’s up to them to work out what’s the best thing for us.”

Zimbabwe continued their Pakistan tour despite a deadly bomb blast in Karachi last month.

They played matches in Karachi, Hyderabad, Multan, Faisalabad and Sheikhupura during their three-week stay.

Zimbabwe’s stand-in captain Hamilton Masakadza has praised security arrangements in Pakistan, raising hopes among cricket officials that it will convince Australia to tour the country.

“We were looked after very well and security wasn’t a worry for us in Pakistan,” said Masakadza after his team was whitewashed 5-0 in the one-day series here on Saturday.

“We were given proper care throughout our stay for which we are thankful. Pakistan is a safe country,” said Masakadza, who led Zimbabwe after captain Prosper Utseya was injured.

Australia are scheduled to tour Pakistan for three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 International in March-April, a visit which has come under serious doubt over security fears.

Cricket Australia (CA) will send a security delegation to assess the situation in Pakistan after Feb 18 general elections before taking a final decision on the tour, Australia’s first here in 10 years.—AFP