Pakistan v Zimbabwe: Series in doubt over safety concerns

Zimbabwe cricket officials inspected the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 6 May

Zimbabwe say "discussions are ongoing" over their planned tour of Pakistan, after retracting an announcement that they had pulled out of the tour.

Two Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals were scheduled in Lahore from 22-31 May.

No top-level international cricket has been played in Pakistan since Sri Lanka's team bus was attacked in 2009.

Zimbabwe are awaiting approval from their government's Sports and Recreational Commission (SRC).

Governing body Zimbabwe Cricket sparked confusion on Thursday by issuing a press release announcing the tour had been "suspended" because of security concerns, then retracting this in another announcement 15 minutes later.

The tourists have already named a 16-man squad, but there is now uncertainty over whether the players will travel for what would be the first full international games played in Pakistan since 2009.

Recent militant violence in Pakistan has revived security fears, six years after gunmen attacked Sri Lanka's bus on the way to a Test match in Lahore.

Six Pakistani policemen and two civilians, including the driver of a minibus containing the game's umpires, were killed that day, while several Sri Lanka players sustained minor injuries.

Since then, Pakistan have played most of their "home" matches in the United Arab Emirates, while New Zealand and England have also hosted Pakistan "home" games.

Although Afghanistan (in 2013) and Kenya (in 2014) have both toured the country and played against Pakistan A, proposed tours by Bangladesh in 2012 and Ireland in 2014 were cancelled on security grounds.