Pakistan to play Australia series in England in 2010

LONDON (AFP) - England will host two Test matches and two Twenty20 internationals between Pakistan and
Australia in 2010, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Friday.
Pakistan is currently unable to host international cricket because of security concerns, which were heightened
following a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in March in Lahore.
The matches will take place in July 2010.
The ECB also announced that England will take on Pakistan in four Tests, five one-day internationals and two
Twenty20 internationals in England in August and September of next year.
ECB chairman Giles Clarke said: "The Pakistan team performed outstandingly well in the World T20 tournament
in England and were worthy world champions.
"The passion of the support for their team in England demonstrated why this country is an ideal venue for these
matches against Australia."
Clarke has agreed to serve as chairman of a task-force set up by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to
devise ways of helping the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to maintain its international fixture schedule.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board is faced with a very challenging situation at present and ECB in its role as a
member of the global cricket community is keen to offer PCB all possible assistance at such a difficult time,"
Clarke said.
"I am delighted to take on this role and will be liaising closely with my colleagues at PCB in the coming weeks
and months."
He added: "The warm relations between our two boards has developed further under the leadership of the
current PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, with whom I enjoy an excellent working relationship, and ECB is delighted to
support Pakistan in staging these matches."
The announcement of these fixtures came just a day after the ICC confirmed that Pakistan would not, as planned,