KARACHI, Oct 30: Cricket-starved Pakistan has got a rare invitation from England for a Test series and negotiations are already under way, a senior official said on Thursday.

Pakistan have not played any Tests this year after Australia postponed a full tour over security fears. They had not been scheduled to visit England in the Future Tours Programme (FTP) until 2011, but now have a chance in 2010.

“We are keen to play a series in England so we will be holding negotiations soon with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to sort out financial arrangements,” Saleem Altaf, Director General of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said.

Pakistan are likely to play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 International, he added.

If the tour goes ahead it will give Pakistan the chance to compensate the ECB for the losses suffered during the controversial Oval Test on the team’s last tour to England in 2006.

The ECB demanded compensation of 800,000 pounds ($1.30 million) from the PCB for lost revenue after umpires awarded the match to England on forfeit following the Pakistan team’s decision to boycott on the fourth day.

The ECB said it had to repay large sums of money to disappointed spectators who had bought tickets for the fifth day.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) later changed the result from forfeit to draw — but the guardian of cricket rules, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), is challenging the decision.

Saleem said Pakistan could play a Twenty20 match to overcome the ECB’s losses.

“Pakistan and England had made an agreement to play a Twenty20 match whenever we tour England and the proceeds could overcome the losses incurred at The Oval,” he said.—AFP