AUCKLAND, Sept 14: New Zealand Davis Cup team are keeping tabs on the security situation in Pakistan but on Tuesday said they are happy to travel there next week for their tennis tie.

The two countries meet in an Asia-Oceania group one playoff in Islamabad on Sept 24-26. New Zealand squad of Mark Nielsen, Simon Rea, Lee Radovanovich and William Ward leave Auckland on Wednesday for training in Sydney, before arriving in Pakistan next Monday.

Captain Bruce Derlin said New Zealand tennis officials had spoken to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and to their Pakistani counterparts about security. "We're not staying in any American hotels and we aren't visiting any American chains like Starbucks or McDonald's," he said.

"We're also going to have 24-hour police security wherever we go from the time we step off the plane." He said the team would continue to monitor developments while they were in Australia.

"If anything should happen, we're not going, but at this stage, we are fine and confident." Islamabad hosted the world junior squash championships last month, when New Zealand were among the countries present.

Derlin said the time in Sydney would help his players to acclimatise to the expected 25C to 30C temperatures they would strike in Pakistan. He admitted to having been surprised that the tie would be played on clay, especially as Pakistani No 1 Aisamul Haq Qureshi, ranked 205 in the world, was considered better on grass.

"It depends on what type of clay it is, but I'm told it's not a bad court," he said. "It's something we'll see when we get there." New Zealand whitewashed Pakistan 5-0 the last time they met in the Davis Cup, in Hamilton in February last year.

That tie, from which Nielsen is only New Zealand survivor, was to have been in Pakistan. ITF reversed the home ground status because of security concerns in Pakistan at the time.

Derlin expected upcoming contest to be much closer. Pakistanis would be a lot stronger at home, while New Zealanders would also have to try to shut security issue from their minds.

"Playing away is a hell of a lot tougher," he said. "The boys will also be a bit anxious, and me as well, looking around and that, but it's something we'll have to deal with." Derlin believed the doubles could prove the key to the result, and he had yet to decide on his pairing. -Agencies