England set for extra Windies and Pakistan matches

SOUTHAMPTON: England are in line to tag on two additional Twenty20 matches against the West Indies to the end of an already packed home season.

They are also set to play additional one-day matches away to Pakistan, either in the United Arab Emirates or Sri Lanka, where they face the islanders in two Tests from March until early April next year.

The extra West Indies games, which are set to follow home series against both Sri Lanka and India, come in a bid to fulfil broadcast obligations.

The ECB face a problem honouring a deal with satellite station Sky, signed in 2008, that is worth some #260 million ($421 million).

That was intended to include a Stanford Super Series every November.

However, American businessman Allen Stanford was arrested and accused of being behind a $7 billion (#4.3 billion) fraud in 2009. He is now in jail and due to stand trial in New York on September 12.

Clarke also said the matches could help the financially ailing West Indies Cricket Board.
England Test captain Andrew Strauss, who has retired from limited overs internationals, said his team-mates would cope with the additional workload.

Meanwhile England also released a preliminary schedule for their off-season tour programme featuring three Tests against Pakistan and an unspecified number of one-day internationals, possibly as many as five, in January and February.

England are also due to travel to India in October to play the world champions in five one-day internationals and a Twenty20.

That would give England a combined nothern hemisphere winter schedule of five Tests, 10 one-dayers and a Twenty20.

Pakistan have not played a major international side at home since an armed attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in March 2009 turned the country into a 'no-go' area for the world's top teams.