Pakistan has switched the venues for the first two one-day internationals against India in February for security reasons, the director of operations for the Pakistan Cricket Board Saleem Altaf said on Thursday.

Altaf told Reuters the first match would be played in Rawalpindi on Feb. 6 and the second in Peshawar two days later.

The first match was originally scheduled for Peshawar and the second for Pindi.

Altaf said police in Pindi had informed the board they did not have enough people to staff the match.

"Since the 10-day period of Muharram (month of mourning) starts in the first week of February the security officials say their manpower would be required to be posted at sensitive places in and around Islamabad and Rawalpindi on the eighth," the official said.

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There is normally a high security alert in those parts of Pakistan which have been hit by sectarian violence.

Nineteen people were killed May in an apparent suicide bomb attack on a Shi'te shrine in Islamabad.

"Obviously the security arrangements for the Indian team are of state level and we can't compromise on their security at anytime of the tour," he said.