Bangladesh set for cricket tour of Pakistan

Two-match visit first by an international team to Pakistan since 2009.

Bangladesh has agreed to tour Pakistan for two matches which would be the first full internationals in the country since March 2009 when Sri Lankan cricketers and officials were attacked by gunmen in Lahore.

Bangladesh will play one one-day international and one Twenty20 international in Lahore at the end of this month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement on Sunday.

The ICC board has requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to immediately provide a comprehensive security plan for consideration.

The ICC Anti Corruption and Security Unit will then commission a localised risk assessment to determine if the officials and staff are appropriately protected by the proposed security plan, before any further decision is taken in relation to their appointment.

Last month, the ICC had said it may waive its requirement for neutral match officials if the proposed series went ahead.

Under the ICC's standard playing conditions for ODIs, one of the two on-field umpires and the match referee must be drawn from countries not taking part in a match.

"The public of Pakistan have been deprived of cricket and we felt that we needed to support them," Mustafa Kamal, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, was quoted as saying in the statement.

"The reception we received when we toured Lahore and Karachi on our security visit was overwhelming."

Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman, thanked the BCB and the Bangladesh government for their support for the tour.

Foreign teams have continued to shun Pakistan for more than three years now after the attack which killed six Pakistani policemen and a van driver.