April 20, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 13, 1429

KARACHI, April 19: Cricket Australia (CA) have agreed to split their postponed tour of Pakistan into two and complete it before the teams meet in Australia in 2009, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday.

The board added that a final announcement of the new arrangement would be made in next two or three days.

Australia postponed their tour to Pakistan in March because of security concerns.

But the Australians assured the Pakistan board they would play the series in the next available window in the international calendar, the PCB said.

“Australia has been very receptive and cooperative and in the next two or three days we will hopefully be able to announce the revised schedule,” Shafqat Naghmi, PCB’s Chief Operating Officer told reporters.

Naghmi further said that five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 would be played first. Then, he added, Australia would tour again to play three Test matches.

Sources in the PCB said that the Australians were expected to tour Pakistan before the

ICC Champions Trophy in late September and again in March 2009 for the Tests.—Reuters