PCB will hire private bodyguards for Aussie ODI

Pakistan cricket authorities will have to spend extra money to hire private bodyguards during the ODI series against Australia after Dubai police made it clear they could not provide total manpower for all players.

Pakistan Cricket Board officials have been told that since the series, beginning in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from April 22, was a private event of the PCB being staged at the neutral venues, they would have to take care of the bulk of security during the series.

Sources in the Board said the PCB had decided to hire private bodyguards for two weeks for the series.

"The Emirates Cricket Board which is coordinating on behalf of the PCB and Cricket Australia with the local authorities suggested hiring the private bodyguards in the security plan sent to the Australians for final approval now," one source said.

He said Pakistan would incur an extra cost of around $100,000 on hiring the private bodyguards. 

"The Australians are laying lot of stress on the security arrangements for the series particularly after the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore," one board official confirmed.

He said the PCB was still waiting for final approval of the security plan from the Australians who would be bringing their own security experts to the Emirates for the five-match ODI series and a Twenty20 match.

The PCB has already changed the hotels where the teams would stay during the series on the request of the Australians who wanted the hotels to be secure and close to the ground and training facilities. Pakistan agreed to shift the series to Abu Dhabi and
Dubai after Cricket Australia refused to send its team to Pakistan for security reasons.

They had also pulled out of their Test tour to Pakistan last year in March for same reason. A Board official confirmed that the PCB would also incur plenty of extra costs for infrastructure as the series was being held at neutral venues.

"We have to pay for the use of the ground and floodlights while the gate money receipts would go to the local board," the official said.

Pakistan is now also looking at selling the title sponsorship rights for the series for $1 million.

"The acting director marketing, Aamer Sohail who has gone to Dubai to secure sponsors has met with some success and hopefully the title sponsors would be announced soon," the official said.