ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt called on the Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal on Tuesday to brief him about the arrangements being made for holding the cricket series between the two countries in a peaceful atmosphere.

India and Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 in January.

A source from the Indian High Commission said the PCB chairman informed the high commissioner that the step of withdrawing the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium as a venue for the series was part of the overall security plan.

The chairman, he said, further informed that Abu Dhabi has been kept as a neutral venue for the series and would be used as the last possible option.

The scheduled tour of India has been in doubt since India cancelled a low-profile junior hockey series recently.

A PCB member, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn from Lahore that the chairman briefed the high commissioner about the security arrangements and preparations being made by the PCB for the top event.

The board member said: “We can assure foolproof security to the visiting team and the players are under no threat in the country.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan Interior Ministry officials have assured top-level security to the Indian cricket team in a meeting held with a visiting 10-member Indian delegation, headed by Indian Home Secretary Maduhukar Gupta, at a local hotel.

An Interior Ministry source said the Indian team must undertake the tour otherwise efforts to restore better relations between the two countries would be affected.

He said that on Wednesday the issue will be properly raised in the meeting.

Pakistan faces a daunting challenge to invite foreign teams to play home series due to increasing terrorist attacks.

The ICC Champions Trophy, which was to be held in Pakistan in September this year, was also postponed due to security concerns raised by some key cricket playing nations.