Pakistan confirm Zimbabwe tour with new dates

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan on Wednesday agreed to play a limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe comprising two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals starting in September, after plans for a tri-series involving the West Indies were scrapped.

The planned tour comes after Pakistan hosted Zimbabwe in May and June, the first visit to the militancy-hit South Asian country by a Test-playing team in six years.

The Africans tour was hailed as a breakthrough moment for the revival of international cricket in Pakistan, which was suspended after militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said: "Pakistan will play two Twenty20 internationals in Zimbabwe in September before playing three one-day internationals in October."

Zimbabwe Cricket had proposed to play a tri-series involving the West Indies instead of a bilateral series.

But it is widely believed the PCB wanted to avoid playing the West Indies to ensure they remained in the world s top eight teams before the September 30 cut-off for qualification for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England.

Pakistan had moved to eighth place from ninth after beating Sri Lanka 3-2 in a series that ended last week, but risked dropping back down to eighth had they lost to either team.