Pakistan keen to play cricket matches in US

After the cash-rich Indian Premier League, it is the Pakistan Cricket Board, which is now exploring the possibility of organising cricket matches for the national team in the United States.

With teams refusing to tour the troubled country due to security concerns, Pakistan has become completely isolated as a cricketing nation. Pakistan's problems were further compounded when the International Cricket Council moved the nation's share of 2011 World Cup matches to co-host countries India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh following last year's terrorist attack on the visiting Lankan team.

Since then, Pakistan has been hosting international teams at neutral venues. PCB chairman Ejaz Butt and chief operating officer Wasim Bari met USA Cricket (USACA) officials led by chief executive Donald Lockerbie on the sidelines of the two-day ICC meeting that ended in Dubai.

"PCB Wasim Bari held a meeting with USA Cricket Association (USACA) officials to discuss organising match series in USA in 2010. The matches will feature the defending ICC World T20 champions," the PCB said in a statement.

PCB chief Butt said the series, the dates for which was yet to be finalised, would help in growing the game in countries like USA. "Pakistan playing as a full member in the USA is in line with the ICC policy to grow the sport in countries such as the United States," Butt said.

"While the two boards are still finalising the dates and the types of match competitions - assurances were made by both parties that a long term agreement to play in the USA will begin with a match series later in 2010," he added.

PCB's announcement came close on the heels of a meeting between IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and USACA chief Lockerbie, where in they discussed the options of taking the Twenty20 league to the US in near future.