Pakistan to host West Indies for three T20Is in March

In what comes as a breath of fresh air for fans of cricket in Pakistan, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi confirmed that West Indies would be playing a series consisting of three T20Is in Lahore, in March next year.

The games will be played on the 29th and 31st of March, with the final game scheduled for the 1st of April.

Sethi also clarified the fact that both sides would play T20I series against one another, each year for the next five years.

"Cricket West Indies (CWI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have signed an agreement to play a series of T20Is, each year for the next five years in Pakistan and in the United States, subject to availability of dates. WICB will send its full-strength national team in 2018 and will play three T20Is [on] March 29, 31 and April 1. So I am hopeful that this ends the whole speculation around cricket in Pakistan. This is not a one-off series, we have tied up with the Windies for a period of five years. These bilateral [series] will be a part of the FTP, since we've made this agreement involving the ICC," he affirmed.

The series was initially slated to be held in November but had to be cancelled due to 'unforeseen circumstances'.

The PCB have reportedly assured the West Indian Cricket Board and the players that threat levels haven't escalated since the World XI tour and that security shouldn't be an issue.

Despite the PCB's reassurances, security in Pakistan is generally a cause for concern, however, they have still managed to host a couple of series in the past year. Following World XI's tour of the country, Pakistan also hosted Sri Lanka for a single T20I game which was played at Lahore.