LAHORE, July 16: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf has welcomed the decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of resuming the bilateral series between the two countries which has been suspended in the wake of the Mumbai attacks in 2008.

The BCCI on Monday invited Pakistan to play three One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals in December-January. Pakistan last toured India in November-December 2007.

“We welcome the decision of the BCCI as it is a positive move which will help us to move ahead in strengthening cricketing ties between the two countries,” Zaka told reporters here on Monday.

“Both the boards have been in negotiations with each other for the last six months to restore the bilateral series and finally it has bore fruit,” he said.

“Now we will sit together to decide other modalities of the series.”Zaka was also optimistic that the tour will pave the way for future series between the two countries.

“It’s an ice-breaking series because the glacier was not melting,” he said. “I am sure millions of cricket fans in both countries will be happy with his decision.”

Zaka spoke to the BCCI after he was invited to watch the Indian Premier League (IPL) final on May 28 after which Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 champions, Sialkot Stallions, were invited for the first time to play in the Champions League, in South Africa in October.

''I think the breakthrough came when I went to Chennai for the IPL final,” he said. “I started the talks as soon as I took over as PCB chairman. I started for the revival of cricket in Pakistan as well as breaking the deadlock between India and Pakistan.”

Agencies add: Pakistan’s Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul-Haq welcomed the BCCI decision and sees it as a chance for players from both sides to prove their mettle.

“The series, like this one, gives players a chance to perform under pressure because expectations are high on both sides of the border,” Misbah said. “Players from both the sides miss such matches and they want to be part of it.”

Pakistan's Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez said that pressure could be released from players if both countries play each other regularly in bilateral series.

“I know it [pressure] very well because I did play against them in the World Cup semi-final last year,” Hafeez said. “You have to deal with a tense situation, but if we play more with each other pressure will be released from the players.”

Former leg-spinner Abdul Qadir hoped the December series would be a first step towards better relations, hoping India would also tour Pakistan in the near future.

“I think a cricket series between Pakistan and India is bigger than the Ashes,” Qadir said. “I think cricket will open further doors like trade and cooperation in tackling terrorism in both the countries.

“India should also be given the option of playing on the neutral venues like the United Arab Emirates.”

Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad was similarly ecstatic.

“It is definitely great news,” Miandad said. “One must give credit to Zaka for his whole-hearted efforts to revive Indo-Pak cricket and that paid off today.”

Another former Test captain Aamir Sohail said that matches between India and Pakistan generate interest from all over the world.

“The expectation level [to perform] goes up and pressure comes on the players,” Aamir said.