Karachi, Sep 14 (IANS) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Monday that it has struck a deal to host its one-day series against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates(UAE) next month.
Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said Pakistan will play four One-day Internationals (ODI) against the Black Caps in Abu Dhabi and two Twenty20 games in Dubai.

Butt met with senior officials of the Emirates cricket board in Dubai late last week and inked a deal to host Pakistan’s home games in UAE.

“We have held successful discussions with officials in UAE and have planned four one-dayers in Abu Dhabi and two Twenty20 games in Dubai,” Butt announced after returning home from what he described as successful tours of UAE and England.

The PCB chairman said the final programme for the New Zealand series will be released after confirmation from New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

Pakistan was supposed to host New Zealand for three Tests and five One-day Internationals at home this year but the Black Caps refused to come here because of security concerns. New Zealand has instead agreed to have the Test series in their own backyard. However, PCB will remain as the official host of the series that will be played in Nov-Dec this year.

The decision to relocate the series and split it into two phases was taken after a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team’s bus in Lahore last March.

The attacks, which killed eight people and wounded seven Sri Lankan players and an assistant coach, confirmed Pakistan’s status as the pariah of international cricket.

Early this summer, Pakistan successfully hosted a one-day series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The PCB is now planning to host the Aussies for three Tests in England next summer.