Pakistan have promised tight security for the tourists

The tourists have asked for games in Karachi and Peshawar to be moved to alternative venues because of safety worries.

But the Pakistan Cricket Board have tried to ease their concerns by offering a level of security normally provided for visiting heads of state.

"The UCBSA [United Cricket Board] is finding it difficult to get insurance for their team for the matches in Karachi and Peshawar.

"But we have assured them again that conditions in both cities are not bad and South Africa can play without major concerns," said PCB chief executive Ramiz Raja.

Graeme Smith's side are due to play a warm-up game and a day-night one-day international in Karachi later this month, with Peshawar scheduled to stage the second Test match.

A Test match in Karachi between Pakistan and New Zealand had to be cancelled in May 2002 after a bomb went off outside the tourists' hotel.

But Tests at both venues between Pakistan and Bangladesh recently passed off without incident.

Pitch policy

English groundsman Andy Atkinson, meanwhile, has been asked to travel to Pakistan in the hope that he can help produce livelier pitches for the Test series against South Africa.

"Atkinson is a seasoned curator and has been to Pakistan before and seen the pitches at different centres. He knows the conditions in Pakistan well," said Ramiz said.

He formerly worked as head groundsman at Edgbaston and Newlands in Cape Town.