KARACHI (Reuters)
Pakistan have called on foreign cricket teams to resume touring the country.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Lieutenant General Tauqir Zia told Reuters on Monday: "The situation in Pakistan is normal and there should be no cause for concern for any visiting team. We are confident that the situation in the region should also improve in the coming days."

New Zealand and Sri Lanka pulled out of tours to Pakistan in September and October, citing safety fears following the September 11 attacks in the United States and the US-led strikes on Afghanistan.

Zia said he was confident next year's visit by West Indies would go ahead.

"As far as we are concerned, the West Indies visit is on, as they have never said they will not tour in February-March," he said, adding that a Sri Lanka under-19 team was currently touring Pakistan without problems.

"Once this five-match series is completed, we can argue there is no need for touring teams to avoid visiting Pakistan," Zia said.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) decided in October that Pakistan could stage home series at neutral venues because of the Afghanistan crisis, with Morocco, Sharjah or Nairobi proposed as neutral venues for the West Indies series.

Zia added: "We are grateful to the ICC for giving serious consideration to our plight. But I would like to see us hosting teams at home not at neutral venues....it is not the same thing playing a home series in a third country."

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