A security expert assessing Pakistan's safeguarding measures ahead of the Champions Trophy said Saturday that the host country needs to improve in some areas but is on the right track. Australian Reg Dickson has been hired by the Australia, England and New Zealand cricket boards to assess security measures ahead of September's tournament. “Some fine tuning needs to be done and everyone acknowledges that,” Dickson told reporters without elaborating the details. Last week, the International Cricket Council said Pakistan remained the first choice venue for the Champions Trophy, but would continue to monitor the security situation. Sri Lanka was put on standby as an alternative host. Players from Australia, New Zealand and England have expressed reservations about the security situation in Pakistan ahead of the One-Day International tournament involving the world's top eight teams. Dickson will submit his security report to Cricket Australia (CA), New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over the next two weeks. “Everybody would like to play here and it is why the PCB and others have put in so much work here,” Dickson said. “There's lots of (security) experience in this country plus international experience have been brought in and together we can see it going in the right direction.” Dickson had previously visited with the New Zealand cricket team as security manager in 2002. The Black Caps had to abandon their tour after a bomb blast in Karachi – just across from the hotel where the team was staying. “I had met with some security consultants and officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board, who have been very helpful,” Dickson said. “I will be having more meetings as the Champions Trophy is still two to three months away.” The Pakistan government had promised high security for the participating teams at all three proposed match venues – Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore. Jayasuriya 39, going strong Swashbuckling Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya celebrates his 39th birthday on Monday with no retirement plans in sight. Sri Lanka's highest Test scorer and the second most capped player in One-Day Internationals, Jayasuriya demonstrated he had lost none of his flair by smashing 72 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup on Wednesday. “I don't think about my future plans,” he told reporters. “As long as I am fit I will keep on going.” Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said: “As long as he is hungry to perform, I am sure he will keep on going.”
