Pakistan likely to tour India in 2008 or 2009

Pakistan will play three Tests and seven one-day internationals on their next tour of India in either 2008 or 2009, Shaharyar Khan, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman said on Tuesday.

The exact dates of the tour are yet to be finalised but both countries have agreed to play each other every two years like Australia and England do in the Ashes series. Khan had, at the beginning of the just-concluded series, spoke of the need to retain the intensity in India-Pakistan contests by reducing the frequency of tours.

India toured Pakistan in 2004 for the first time since 1989, breaking the drought after the Indian government snapped bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan in 2000 over political reasons. Pakistan toured India for the return series in 2005, their first since 1999. India wrapped up a tour of Pakistan earlier this month, losing the Test series 0-1 and comprehensively beating the hosts 4-1 in the ODI series.