PCB contact Bangladesh

The PCB have asked their Bangladesh counterparts to confirm their tour this week. Insiders in the board said Chairman PCB Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia talked to Saber Hossain Chowdhury over telephone and asked him to approve the tour itinerary by Friday.

Pakistan will host Bangladesh for two Tests and three one-day internationals in January. The itinerary of Bangladesh tour to Pakistan will be finalized during next week's Asian Cricket Council meeting in Sharjah, official said.

PCB chairman, Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, said: "Obviously, Bangladesh was our next option. We will now try to finalize the series with them."

The general ruled out Pakistan team's appearance in the tri-nation series in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the first week of January. "India is the second team in the competition and after their pulling out of the Pakistan tour, there is no chance of us playing them in Malaysia."