New Zealand have confirmed they will tour Pakistan in April-May this year to replace an earlier trip cancelled due to security fears over the US-led war in Afghanistan.
"The confirmation has just come in today. We are delighted they have agreed to tour and accepted our security assurances," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director Brigadier Munawwar Rana said on Tuesday.
"The itinerary has also been finalised and they will be playing two Tests immediately after the tournament in Sharjah in April," he added.
The New Zealand confirmation comes after a visit by their team manager Jeff Crowe to Pakistan last week in which he met PCB officials and received security assurances.
New Zealand postponed their tour to Pakistan, set for September-October, immediately following the September 11 attacks. They returned home from Singapore from where they were due to fly to Karachi to play three Tests and three one-day internationals.
Rana said that the tour would allow Pakistan to recover revenues lost as a result of the cancellation.
Bureau Report