24 January 2004	Saturday	01 Zilhaj 1424

NEW DELHI, Jan 23: The cash-strapped Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is hoping to tap Indian companies to secure sponsorship for its long-awaited home series against India starting in March.

The PCB took out advertisements in Indian newspapers on Friday inviting bids for title sponsorship of the three Test and five one-day series, radio and internet coverage besides offering image rights.

India are set to go on their first full tour of Pakistan for 14 years after their government last year revoked its ban on bilateral games since 2000 due to political tension between the two neighbours over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

A thaw in their bilateral relations in recent months has raised huge expectations in both cricket-mad countries for the series. The Pakistan board has faced severe financial constraints in the last three years, mainly owing to their home fixtures being thrown into disarray because of the reluctance of teams to travel to the country over security concerns.

Indian companies heavily sponsor cricket and the country's players enjoy the game's most lucrative endorsement deals.-Reuters