PCB, WICB sign 5-year agreement to play T20s in Pakistan, US

Pakistan and the West Indies have signed an agreement under which they will play a T20 series each year in Pakistan and the United States for the next five years.
This was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Najam Sethi at a press conference in Lahore on Saturday.
"There has been a lot of speculation regarding Pakistan and West Indies series. I can confirm now that both the boards have reached an agreement under which we will play a T20 series each year for the next five years in Pakistan and USA subject to availability of dates and venues which will be finalised later, Sethi said.

He said the first series would take place with the West Indies board confirming they will send their full national side to Pakistan in March 2018.
"The matches will take place on March 29 and 31st and April 1st next year," he added.
"This series couldnt be held in November as earlier planned due to adverse weather conditions and we didnt want to take any risk," he said.

Sethi said the West Indies would come to Pakistan for the next five years each year and Pakistan will go to the USA each year in return.
"The series in the USA will be a triangular series with Pakistan, West Indies and a third team to be finalised every year."

He also made it clear that this bilateral arrangement between the two boards was outside of the official future tours program of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
"I want to say here that this agreement is part of our endeavour to bring back international cricket back to Pakistan in a proper way."
Sethi said that both boards would now sit down and finalise a third team and the broadcaster for the first series in the USA in 2018.
Pakistan have already hosted the Pakistan Super League final in March followed by a tour by the World Eleven in September and most recently, Sri Lanka played a lone T20 in Lahore on October 29.

He said the ICC bilateral series would be finalised next year by February.
Sethi said Pakistan felt it was financially viable to have a tri-series of T20 matches in the United States every year.