The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Islamabad

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 told AP on 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.