Islamabad, Nov 09: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today welcomed the decision on Indian team's tour of the country in March and proposed to hold three Test matches and seven one-day internationals during the series. Hailing the announcement made by Indian cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata earlier in the day, PCB chief executive Rameez Raja termed it a "very positive step" and added that it would give a big boost to efforts to normalise relations between the two countries.

"PCB has proposed to India to play three Test matches and seven one day internationals to the BCCI. The tentative programme has already been posted to the BCCI two days ago," Raja said here today. He said PCB wanted as many as seven one-dayers to be played between the two sides since "people really want to see the India-Pak cricket matches (at home) as they have not taken place for a number of years," he said.

"In return we are ready to play as many matches when we visit India in Feb 2005," he said. Bureau Report