The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning on hosting Afghanistan next month for a three-match ODI series to fill the long gap before the tour of England in the summers.Zimbabwe became the first Test team to visit Pakistan last year since the armed attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009, with the PCB doing its best to revive international cricket in the country.The PCB is also hoping to host a World XI in September, with English and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Giles Clarke expected to visit Pakistan in April in this regard.“There is a series against Afghanistan in the pipeline, with Pakistan keen on hosting them in April,” a PCB official told The Express Tribune. “The discussions between the PCB and the Afghanistan Cricket Board have taken place. Initially, two four-day matches and three ODIs were proposed, but it might have to be limited to just three ODIs as we’ve got the Pentangular Cup scheduled as well.”Afghanistan have previously set up a short camp in Pakistan in 2015, under former coach Kabir Khan. They stayed at the Country Club Karachi, where they played several matches against departmental teams before heading for the Inter-Continental Cup.Afghanistan have also appeared in Ramzan tournaments in Karachi, where they have drawn massive crowds.The Associates have been playing good cricket of late and registered a couple of series wins against Zimbabwe, while they also qualified for the main round of the ongoing World T20, where they fought valiantly against South Africa, England and Sri Lanka but ultimately fell to defeats.Afghanistan’s emergence, under the guidance of Pakistan legend Inzamamul Haq,has forced cricketing greats such as Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar to urge the International Cricket Council to not cut down on the number of teams for future World events.With Afghanistan agreeing to tour the country, the PCB has submitted a written request to the Sindh and Punjab governments for security clearances, with matches expected to be played in Karachi’s National Stadium and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.“We are planning to host Afghanistan,” confirmed PCB spokesperson Amjad Hussain Bhatti. “The board has already sent a request to the Sindh and Punjab governments for security clearances. We will announce the series as soon as we receive confirmation.”Published in The Express Tribune, March 25, 2016.