KARACHI, June 28: A security expert assessing Pakistan’s safeguarding measures ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy said on 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 ICC 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 limited-overs 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 some security consultants and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials who have been very helpful,” Dickson stated. “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.

Earlier this year, Australia pulled out of their tour to Pakistan on security grounds following the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and a state-of-emergency surrounding national elections.

Australia will now play the five-match one-day series in March 2009 before returning for the Test series in 2010.—AP