ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Sri Lanka has confirmed it will tour Pakistan from next month, filling in after India withdrew from its scheduled tour in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
"Today we have received the confirmation from Sri Lanka and the series begins in the fourth week of January," Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Salim Altaf said Friday.
Sri Lanka will play three Tests, three one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international across Karachi, Lahore and Multan.
"The series starts with a Twenty20 match and a one-dayer in Karachi before Lahore hosts the remaining two one-day internationals and the first Test match," Altaf said.
Multan will host the second Test and Karachi the third.
The Sri Lanka confirmation has given the PCB some reprieve after being starved of both game time and the resultant revenue this year.
Prior to India's withdrawal, Australia had pulled out of a tour and the Champions Trophy one-day tournament was postponed, both on security grounds. Pakistan will go throughout 2008 without playing a test.
The PCB has suffered a huge financial loss due to cancellation of Indian series, largely from television rights but also gate receipts, and will recover only a fraction of that by hosting Sri Lanka.
"I can't say what the figure is," Altaf said.
"But one thing is sure that the amount of money we would have generated from the television rights from hosting the series against India has no comparison what we will be getting from the Sri Lankan series," he said.
Indian Sports Minister M.S. Gill announced India's cancellation in Parliament on Thursday. The decision was widely expected after the attacks in Mumbai which killed 164 people. Indian authorities say the attack was committed by militants originating from Pakistan.
India had been due to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international between Jan. 8-Feb. 19.
