Pakistan have set aside political differences with India and agreed to send a touring cricket team to their neighbours for the first time in a decade. J Y Lele, secretary of the Indian Cricket Board, said Pakistan would play three Tests, starting on January 16th next year.
It represents a rapid improvement in relations and follows the successful completion of a recent series of `Friendship' hockey matches between the two countries, in which Irish umpire Ray O'Connor officiated and enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere in front of crowds averaging from 30,000 to 40,000 in India.
In February Pakistan called off a day's play between a Karachi side and a visiting Indian junior team because it fell on the annual holiday Pakistanis hold to express solidarity with Muslim separatists in the Indian state of Kashmir. India reacted by refusing to turn up for the last day of the three-day match.
Meanwhile, England have gone up from seventh place to joint sixth in the world rankings despite losing the Test series in the West Indies. Australia's position at the top was unaffected by their defeat in the recent Test series in India.
Somerset's coach Dermot Reeve will come out of retirement to play for the county in one-day cricket this summer. Reeve, who is 35 today, quit the first-class game in 1996 because of an arthritic hip condition.
