KARACHI, June 9: Pakistan and India will open the one-day tri-series which will bring big-time cricket to the Netherlands on Aug 21, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday.

World champions Australia will also play in the series. "The final Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is to be signed shortly and involved boards of Pakistan, India and Australia besides the involvement of the Netherlands board," PCB general manager cricket operations Zakir Khan said on Wednesday.

The Netherlands' Amstelveen stadium hosted one match in the 1999 World Cup held in England. "It will be a great boost for cricket in the Netherlands which has taken significant strides at international level," said Zakir, a former pace bowler for Pakistan.

Australia will take on India on Aug 23 and two days later square off with Pakistan. The final will be played on Aug 28. Until March last year, Pakistan and India had played only one one-day match in three years.

India broke the deadlock over political tension between the two countries by touring Pakistan earlier this year after a gap of 15 years. India won an exciting five-match one-day series 3-2 and grabbed the three-match Test series 2-1, their first ever wins in both forms of the game in Pakistan.

The traditional rivals are also due to lock horns in the six-nation Asia Cup in Sri Lanka next month and will play before an already sell out crowd at Edgbaston, England when they meet in the 12-nation ICC Champions Trophy on Sept 19 this year. Pakistan are due to tour India to play three Tests and five one-day matches early next year. -AFP