Windies Sharjah-bound for Pakistan Tour

Here's the latest on the hoopla surrounding the West Indies tour to Pakistan.

The West Indies will face Pakistan in a Test and one-day series in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, after declining to play the matches in Pakistan because of security fears.

With the war in neighbouring Afghanistan continuing, and as tension mounts between Pakistan and India over the disputed region of Kashmir, West Indies Cricket Board President Wes Hall favored a neutral venue.

It will be the second time a neutral ground has held a cricket Test since World War One, and will mark Sharjah's debut as a Test venue. The tour, which was cut to a month from six weeks, will comprise three one-day matches and two Tests, and gained the approval of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

"He was very supportive and said we should do whatever we can to ensure the cricket goes ahead," said Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman General Tauqir Zia. "We are grateful to Sharjah for stepping in."

The first instance of neutral venues being used in Tests was between Australia and South Africa in a tri-nation tournament in England in 1912. The 1999 final of the Asian Test Championship between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was held at Dhaka in Bangladesh.

The West Indians arrive in Sharjah on January 25. The revised schedule will be announced this week.

SOURCE: Bloomberg.