Geoff Lawson in Karachi on Tuesday. (AFP)

Karachi: Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson has expressed his disappointment over Australia’s pullout and hoped the series can be rescheduled soon to provide the home team with some international action.

“It is very disappointing not to have the best team playing this series, but it is better that the series has been postponed rather than cancelled,” former Australia fast bowler Lawson told reporters on Tuesday.

Australia postponed their tour of Pakistan which was to have started on March 29 over security concerns. The two board chiefs are scheduled to meet in Dubai next week to discuss the future of the tour.

Lawson hoped they would be able to find a proper window in the near future. “I hope this series is not postponed for long because Pakistan are in dire need of playing international cricket and more Test matches,” he said.

Lawson was not entirely surprised by the postponement after bomb blasts in Lahore on Tuesday claimed at least 20 lives.

“Cricket Australia (CA) is right in carefully considering the security situation before the tour,” he said. “But it is a situation no one wants to be in. I just hope cricket is not damaged in Pakistan because of this postponement.”

A PCB official was hopeful the tour would be salvaged at the Dubai meeting.

“We will make a sincere effort to finalise new dates soon. We will discuss all possible options,” he said.

Meanwhile, an agency report from Melbourne adds that Australia opener Matthew Hayden has expressed his relief after CA postponed the tour.

“As players, we did not feel we could be assured that travelling to Pakistan would be safe. When you have got the department of foreign affairs warning about terrorist attacks and serious security fears, we had a major problem,” he was quoted as saying by a local newspaper. (REUTERS)