Travelling to Pakistan still a big security risk, warns players' body FICA

Travelling to Pakistan to play cricket is still not safe with the security risk to foreign players still unmanageable, the Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) said after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the 2017 Pakistan Super League (PSL) final would take place in Lahore.

The PSL, which was launched last year, in its second season will be played along the lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Big Bash League (BBL) and is scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates in February and March, with only the finals scheduled to be played in Pakistan.

"The consistent advice we have received from independent security concerns over the last few years is that playing cricket in Pakistan for foreign teams and players constitutes an unacceptably high security risk. Although we are sure that the PSL and the PCB would do their very best to implement security plans, the advice of our consultants is also that this risk is unmanageable in the current environment", Tony Irish, FICA chief executive told ESPNCricinfo.

"FICA has a duty to relay that advice to players and given that players are participating as individuals in PSL and they are not participating as part of a touring foreign team, it will be up to each individual player to decide whether or not to take that advice."

Zimbabwe was the only full member nation to tour Pakistan since the 2009 terror attacks on the bus carrying Sri Lankan players. Despite being a suicide attack near the Gadaffi Stadium during the Zimbabwe tour in 2015, the African team stayed on to complete the three-match series.

The PSL though is expected to feature a host of big international names including internationals from Australia, England, West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand and Bangladesh. Eight England players including current One Day International skipper Eoin Morgan, Alex Hales, Ben Duckett, Sam Billings and Chris Jordan have been drafted in the PSL squads and are expected to play the tournament.