PCB and Kenya in talks about series in Pakistan

The PCB has invited Kenya to play a series of five limited-overs games in Pakistan, against Pakistan A, in another attempt to break their isolation. Pakistan has not hosted any major international cricket since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009.

Kenya are keen to play the series as well, and are in discussions with the PCB for a series of one-dayers between November 20 and 29.

This is the second time Pakistan have invited an Associate country in last six months. Ireland had been invited and had been willing to tour Pakistan in September, but the terrorist attacks in and around Karachi airport in June ruled out the proposition. The PCB had also asked Sri Lanka to come over earlier this year, without much result.

"Both the countries are negotiating a scheme to play a series in Pakistan," a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. "The discussions are not concluded as yet, but the plan is to play a series of one-dayers later this month.

"The series might or might not materialise but they are keen to tour Pakistan and we are ready to host them. There had been a preliminary understanding that a series will be played in the last week of November."

Previously, the PCB tried hard under former chairman Zaka Ashraf to negotiate a home series with the BCB, but Bangladesh withdrew twice after seemingly having committed to the tour.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, on his recent tour to all three Asian Full Members, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, had informed his counterparts that the security situation in Pakistan has improved. Subsequently, the BCB offered to send a security assessment team over.