He said the WICB and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are still negotiating over future bi-lateral tours and ``hope to have the matter resolved this year''.

Only Australia of the other full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) enjoy a similar four-year reciprocal arrangement with England.

``Regular England tours are important to us from several points of view,'' Camacho said. ``But the entry of South Africa and Zimbabwe to the Test scene in the past few years has put pressure on the itineraries.''

At present, the West Indies have confirmed a full tour of England, with five Tests and One-Day Internationals, in 2000 but no date has yet been set for England's next visit to the Caribbean. Australia are the visitors next season, Pakistan and New Zealand in 2000 and South Africa in 2001.

Four-year cycle

``England have maintained a four-year cycle of a full Test series on a home and away basis with us now since the 1970s and we are keen for that to continue,'' Camacho said. ``But it has become more difficult to fit in everyone.''

England's tours have proved a financial boon both to the WICB, mainly through TV rights, and to the relevant national economies through the influx of cricket tourists, especially in Barbados and Antigua.

But, Camacho pointed out, England also have overdue commitments to other Test-playing countries.

They are scheduled to tour Pakistan in 2000 for the first time in 12 years and India in 2001 for the first time in eight years.

The cycle for West Indies-England series was previously eight years. The regularity was increased with the growing strength and popularity of the West Indies team under Frank Worrell and Garry Sobers so that the West Indies toured England three times in the 1960s Ð in 1963, 1966 and 1969 (sharing with New Zealand).

It has been on a four-year rotation ever since.