The Australia national cricket team was scheduled to tour Pakistan in March and April 2008, to play three Test matches and five One Day Internationals. The tour was cancelled by Australia due to concerns about the security of playing in the country. Following the 2008 general elections in Pakistan, there was continual violence, and some of the Australian players spoke about against travelling to compete in the series.
Security concerns continued to trouble Pakistan's cricket fixtures over the following years: they were scheduled to host the ICC Champions Trophy in 2008, but this was postponed to 2009, and later moved to South Africa, while in 2008–09, both the West Indies and India cancel their tours of the country. Sri Lanka stepped in to tour Pakistan in place of India, but during that tour the Sri Lankan team was attacked by a masked gunman.