Cricket: Pakistan security top-notch, says Snedden

LAHORE - New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden has given his Pakistan counterparts an early thumbs-up for their massive security operation.

The whistle-stop tour kicked off with the first of five one-day internationals here, and already there is cautious satisfaction from the New Zealand camp.

Since their arrival early on Friday (local time) the players have barely been able to eat their cornflakes in the hotel or play a forward defensive stroke at training without staring at the barrel of an automatic weapon.

But it seems the more the merrier, with up to 3000 police working in shifts watching the players' every move, and more importantly the moves of others, from all vantage points.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has bolstered security to unprecedented levels at its own expense to ensure the tour's success, after last year's tour was abandoned in the wake of the Karachi bomb blast.

Under the gaze of NZC's experienced security boss Reg Dickason, a former Melbourne detective inspector on his fourth mission to Pakistan, it had started well.

"It's early stages but I'm really impressed with what I've seen," Snedden said.

"I'm quite surprised that it's hardly been mentioned by the players at all. They're all concentrating on the cricket. So many of them are playing for New Zealand for the first time so security and safety are the least [thing] on their minds.

"The South Africans confirmed the security would be top-notch so it doesn't really surprise me, but it is of great comfort."

The biggest player concern was their safety on the bus, but that was eased by a convoy of trucks laden with armed police, plus the daredevils perched on motorbikes either side.

Police cars emerge at every intersection and queues of traffic are stopped to let the bus pass.

The team's plush Lahore hotel, also housing the Pakistan players, has a 300m perimeter barrier and all visitors have to go through a metal detector.

The foyer is patrolled by beret-wearing armed police, while special force commandos in black caps with the words "No Fear" plastered on their jackets keep a beady-eyed watch.

Guards patrol both ends of the team's sealed-off hotel wing.

Dickason is meanwhile in constant contact with willing local police chiefs to ensure all needs are met.

Snedden, who cancelled New Zealand's World Cup pool match in Nairobi this year due to safety concerns, was determined to see the situation for himself.

He took an agonising week before confirming the tour would go ahead after an e-mail threat was received, and Craig McMillan, Scott Styris, Lou Vincent and Ian Butler opted out.

But for all Snedden's encouraging words for Pakistan, he said future tours wouldn't just automatically be given the green light.

"You can never rubber stamp something for long, the way the world is at the moment."

Snedden yesterday fended off questions from local journalists about why New Zealand was perceived as a soft touch in opting out of tours.

He took umbrage, saying New Zealand had toured Pakistan twice since the September 11 terrorist attacks - more times than any other cricketing nation.

He also cited Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies and South Africa who had all postponed tours due to safety concerns.

"There's been a number of close shaves for New Zealand in the past 15 years so it's probably a bit more real for us than other cricketing countries that haven't had that experience.

"There's certainly that perception there, but it doesn't stack up to single New Zealand out.

"We're not alone in this, it's a major issue for world cricket and will continue to be for some time."

Snedden will return after the second game of the series tonight.

- NZPA