The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has offered to play the series against West Indies at neutral grounds after the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced that it was not prepared to tour Pakistan due to the deteriorating political situation in the region. The PCB, desperate to play after recent cancellations left their finances in turmoil, are looking at three possible venues - Sharjah, Dhaka and Morocco - and the International Cricket Council is likely to sanction the decision.

Pakistan, who have only played one Test since June (and that was against Bangladesh), are facing crippling debts and the PCB is reported to be over $35 million in debt. India's withdrawal from the Asian Test Championship and the cancellation of New Zealand's tour to Pakistan are estimated to have cost the PCB over $10 million in lost revenue and it is now desperate to stage matches.

Sharjah is the most logical venue. It has an established ground and a large Asian population which would effectively offset any disadvantage the Pakistanis might feel from not playing at home.

Dhaka is now in Bangladesh but in the days before that country received its independence, the city hosted Pakistan's home Tests. West Indies, however, might feel that it is still too close to potential trouble to be considered.

The third option, Morocco, has no cricketing pedigree and there would probably be too many obstacles for it to be ready to host a Test match at such short notice.

There have only been four instances of Test matches being played on neutral venues. In 1912 Australia met South Africa three times in England (at Old Trafford, Lord's and Trent Bridge) during the ill-fated Triangular tournament; the only other occasion was when Pakistan met Sri Lanka in Bangladesh in 1999.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd