Pakistan announce India tour itinerary

India will go ahead with their tour of Pakistan early next year despite last weekend's bomb blast at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. India will arrive on January 4, and will play three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 international, as planned in the original official itinerary approved by both boards.

"India will play a Test and a one-day international in Rawalpindi because the itinerary was approved by India before the Islamabad blast," Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi told AFP. "We hope normalcy returns by the time India tours us."

He also stressed that Rawalpindi was one of the most important venues in Pakistan. "We have recently renovated the stadium in Rawalpindi, and hope when India tours us all will be well."

The 47-day tour will begin with India playing a three-day warm-up match at Hyderabad's Niaz Stadium, starting on January 6 against a yet-to-be-named side. The Tests are to be played in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore while Faisalabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi will host the one-dayers. Karachi will also stage the Twenty20 game.

The Indian team stayed at the Marriott Hotel on their last two visits in 2003-04 and 2005-06, and also played a Test and a one-dayer in Rawalpindi in 2004 and a one-dayer in 2006.

In 2006, Pakistan won the three-Test series 1-0 while India clinched the one-day series 4-1.