New Zealand's CLEAR Black Caps will compete in Sharjah against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in April.

The tournament is for the Cricketers' Benefit Fund tri-series and is expected to be staged between April 10-20.

New Zealand, which finishes its Test series with England in Auckland on April 3, will be assured of at least four games and if it finishes in the first two placings, will contest a final.

The tournament, which will be exactly a year after New Zealand last competed in the event, is regarded as being an important part of the side's World Cup build-up.

New Zealand Cricket's chief executive Martin Snedden said the invitation was timely after the cancellation of the Pakistan tour and the desire for New Zealand to play as much one-day cricket as possible before the World Cup.

"The next 18 months is vital as a build-up to the Cricket World Cup in South Africa in February 2003. The Sharjah tournament will be useful in the continued development of our one-day side leading into the World Cup," Snedden said.

New Zealand had not rushed into the decision to tour and had taken due consideration of the demands on players.

"We sat down with the medical and fitness specialists, and we consulted with the CLEAR Black Caps team management and the players themselves. There was a unanimous view from all parties that the benefits of participating outweighed any possible downside," he said.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has issued a clarification notice after reports in Pakistani newspapers that New Zealand would re-schedule its tour for April-May next year.

Snedden rejected that claim and said he had never discussed that time frame with Pakistan.

PCB media manager Khalid Butt said it was "universally known" that the slot available from the tour is from the end of April to August 2003.

He said the two boards were constantly in touch and no firm dates had been decided.

© CricInfo