The Australian Test team started preparations for the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. It is their first trip to the south Asian nation since 1998.
It is a historic visit by the Australian team to Pakistan, and easily the most high-profile tour since international cricket returned to Pakistan following their decade-long international isolation following the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.
The teams are being kept in a tight security bubble, travelling in armoured vehicles to and from the hotel and with more than 4,000 security personnel deployed specifically for the tour.
Australia batsman Steve Smith is part of the touring party that will face a new challenge - cricket in Pakistan. The star batsman said he is excited to be part of the tour.
"It's the first time a lot of us have been here. We're really excited," Smith said. "We know how passionate Pakistanis are about cricket."
This is also Australia’s first full Test tour in nearly three years since they beat England in the Ashes in 2019, and playing on subcontinent pitches will be a challenge for the visiting batsmen against premier fast bowlers like Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.
“Getting accustomed to the conditions is really important,” Smith said. “It’s obviously great to be back here in Pakistan. We’re excited to get into it in a few days.”
The second Test will be played in Karachi (March 12-15) and the third in Lahore (March 21-25). The tourists will also play three ODIs and one Twenty20.
