SYDNEY, Nov 15: With a half-serious remark about the security situation in Pakistan, all-rounder Andrew Symonds has given the first indication that unease about touring the country has permeated the Australian dressing room.

But Pakistan’s coach, former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson, believes the world’s No 1 nation should follow through on its plans to tour Pakistan in February/March for the first time in a decade.

With emergency rule imposed by President Pervez Musharraf and elections due to be held by early next year, a delegation comprising Cricket Australia, the Australian Cricketers Association, team manager Steve Bernard and security consultant Reg Dickason is not expected to carry out its pre-tour inspection until February.

Symonds, speaking at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Wednesday before the second Test against Sri Lanka, veered from the official line that it was too early to consider cancelling the three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match or switching them to a neutral venue. In 2002, Australian games were moved to Sharjah and Colombo.

“There do seem to be a lot of bombs going off over there. At the end of the day it is only a game of cricket,” the straight-talking Symonds said with a smile. “But I suppose, being the diplomat that I am, we are going to have to wait and see when we get closer to the time how many bombs are going off over there. But it is being bombed.”

Lawson believes the political and social instability in Pakistan should not deter Australia from touring and said he was “very comfortable” living in Lahore when the cricketers were at home.

“The most fascinating part of it for me is that most people in this part of the world seem pretty much untroubled by what is going on,” Lawson.

“Cricket, in particular, is the great untouchable of the subcontinent. Certainly, that’s the way of it in Pakistan. I’m very comfortable.

“The majority of the problems are caused by a few idiots in the North West Frontier Province, but they are disliked by pretty much everyone.”

Australian youth and ‘A’ teams recently toured Pakistan without incident, but that was before a state of emergency was declared earlier this month.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is advising Australians to reconsider travel to Pakistan “due to the very high threat of terrorist attack, sectarian violence and the unpredictable security situation”.—Agencies