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England bank on security advice for Pakistan tour after Imran Khan assassination attempt

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Last updated on 09 Nov 2022 | 03:48 AM
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England bank on security advice for Pakistan tour after Imran Khan assassination attempt

Test captain Ben Stokes said that the ECB will take a call after the security delegation has completed its check

England Test captain Ben Stokes said that they are banking on the advice from security advisor Reg Dickason for their Test tour of Pakistan next month. There were new concerns among the England team after former Pakistan Prime Minister and 1992 World Cup winning captain Imran Khan was shot during a rally near Islamabad on November 3.

Ahead of Thursday's T20 World Cup semifinal against India, Stokes admitted that the assassination attempt had caused concerns among the team but said they trusted Dickason.

"Obviously what happened there last week was a bit of a shock to see. But we've currently got Reg Dickason out there. He's been the main [security] man for England for many years now. In my opinion he's the best man to be out there to assess the situation," Stokes told reporters on Tuesday.

Dickason, who runs the security firm ESI Risk, was previously involved with the England team that toured Bangladesh in 2016 after a terrorist attack in Dhaka.

England are going to play three Tests in Pakistan for the first time since 2005 from December 1-17 after playing seven T20Is before the World Cup. While there is no direct threat to the series, the venues Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi might have the possibility of being interrupted by marching supporters of Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI).

According to ESPNCricinfo, the first day of Quadi-E-Azam Trophy between Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Rawalpindi was postponed after protestors blocked the highway connecting to Isamabad.

"But we can't really comment on anything until we've all the information back from Reg once he's out there. But the players and the people going out on that tour 100 percent trust him. He's a man you trust with your life, Reg," Stokes said.

If the tour goes ahead, England will see the return of Keaton Jennings and Ben Duckett return to the Test side after a big gap.

The ECB came under scrutiny for its decision to abruptly call off the men's and women's tour of Pakistan last year citing security concerns.

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