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Pakistan has been allocated 39 Test series, including six against traditional rivals India, in the 10-year plan chalked out by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and approved in Melbourne on Sunday by all the cricket chiefs.

The 39 Test series comprise 21 at home and 18 abroad. The 10-year itinerary comes into effect from May 2001 when the calculation for the World Test Championship begins with the two-Test series between Pakistan and England starting May 16.

Pakistan have been drawn to play host to India thrice (2003, 2005 and 2009) while the Indians are scheduled to cross borders as many times in 2004, 2006 and 2011.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had initially refused to sign the 10-year schedule on the pretext that India had not fulfilled their international commitment earlier this year when they cancelled the tour for three Tests and five One-day Internationals.

The PCB had claimed that it would not sign the document until the game's governing body promises to give assurances of India's visit or compensation in case of withdrawal or a stand-bye team in case India refuse to cross borders. They had put the condition in the background of $15million loss due to the cancellation of the January-February series.

Nevertheless, it appears that both India and Pakistan were vetoed by the other eight Test-playing nations as the 10-year programme which was unlikely to be signed in Melbourne, was given the go-ahead.

It would not be out of context to mention here that India's all tour, particularly to Pakistan, are subject to government approval which late last month refused permission to its team to play in a tri-nation charity series in Sharjah to raise funds for Gujarat earthquake victims. April's Sharjah Cup, in the wake of recent cancellation, also hangs in the balance.

Pakistan's 21 home series include two each against New Zealand, West Indies, Australia, South Africa, England; one against Bangladesh, three against India and four against Sri Lanka. Interestingly, Pakistan will host Sri Lanka thrice in 13 months between February 2010 and March 2009.

Pakistan's 18 tours include one each to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, two each to New Zealand, England, Zimbabwe, Australia, West Indies and three each to India and South Africa.

The significant aspect of the schedule is that the Pakistan cricket administrators have shown excellent professionalism while winning the prized tour to South Africa in December 2002 - just a couple of month's before the World Cup.

The tour would only provide Pakistan an excellent opportunity to acclimatize to the South African conditions before the mega event kicks off, it would assist the 1992 champions and 1999 losing finalists to undermine its strengths and requirements in accordance with the grounds and conditions.

Barring years 2001, 2009 and 2011 when Pakistan will play just two series, it will play a minimum of three series each year and five in the years 2002 and 2006.

The ICC has been more or less neutral while preparing the schedule. All the teams have got equal opportunities against each other though Australia might find themselves a bit lucky to play six series against South Africa - three each at home and away - in 38 series it has been awarded over the next 10 years.

The Australians will play 20 rubbers at home and 18 aboard.

The 10-year programme is:

2001

May - England host Pakistan.

June - Sri Lanka host New Zealand; Zimbabwe host India.

July - England host Australia; Sri Lanka host India; Zimbabwe host West Indies.

August - No tours.

September - Pakistan host New Zealand; Zimbabwe host South Africa.

October - Bangladesh host Zimbabwe; South Africa host India.

November - Australia host New Zealand.

December - Australia host South Africa; India host England; New Zealand host Bangladesh; Sri Lanka host Zimbabwe.

2002

January - Bangladesh host Pakistan.

February - New Zealand host England; India host Zimbabwe; Pakistan host West Indies; South Africa host Australia.

April - South Africa host Bangladesh; West Indies host India; Zimbabwe host Australia.

May - England host Sri Lanka.

June - West Indies host New Zealand.

July - England host India; Sri Lanka host Bangladesh.

August - No tours.

September - Pakistan host Australia

October - India host West Indies; South Africa host Sri Lanka.

November - Australia host England; Zimbabwe host Pakistan.

December - Australia host Sri Lanka; New Zealand host India; South Africa host Pakistan; Bangladesh host West Indies.

2003

January - Australia host England.

February - World Cup in South Africa.

March - No tours.

April - Pakistan host India; West Indies host Australia.

May - England host Zimbabwe; Sri Lanka host New Zealand.

June - No tours.

July - England host South Africa; West Indies host Sri Lanka.

August - No tours.

September - Pakistan host Bangladesh.

October - India host New Zealand; Pakistan host South Africa; Zimbabwe host West Indies; Bangladesh host Australia.

November - Australia host Zimbabwe; Sri Lanka host England.

December - Australia host India; New Zealand host Pakistan; South Africa host West Indies; Bangladesh host England.

2004

January - Australia host India; Bangladesh host Zimbabwe.

February - India host Pakistan; New Zealand host South Africa; Sri Lanka host Australia; West Indies host England.

March - No tours.

April - Zimbabwe host Sri Lanka; Bangladesh host India.

May - England host New Zealand; West Indies host Bangladesh.

June - No tours.

July - England host West Indies.

August - Sri Lanka host South Africa.

September - India host Australia.

October - Pakistan host Zimbabwe; Bangladesh host New Zealand.

November - Australia host West Indies; India host South Africa; Zimbabwe host England; Bangladesh host Sri Lanka.

December - Australia host Pakistan; New Zealand host Sri Lanka; South Africa host England.

2005

January - South Africa host England.

February - New Zealand host Australia; Pakistan host India; South Africa host Zimbabwe.

March - Pakistan host Sri Lanka; West Indies host South Africa.

April - India host Bangladesh.

May - England host Bangladesh; West Indies host Pakistan.

June - England host Australia.

July - Sri Lanka host West Indies.

August - No tours.

September - Australia host Bangladesh; Zimbabwe host New Zealand.

October - South Africa host New Zealand; Zimbabwe host India.

November - India host Sri Lanka; Pakistan host England.

December - Australia host South Africa; New Zealand host West Indies.

2006

January - India host Pakistan; New Zealand host West Indies.

February - India host England; New Zealand host Zimbabwe; South Africa host Australia.

March - Sri Lanka host Pakistan.

April - West Indies host Zimbabwe.

May - England host Sri Lanka; West Indies host India.

June - No tours.

July - England host Pakistan.

August - Zimbabwe host South Africa.

September - Zimbabwe host Australia.

October - Pakistan host Zimbabwe; Sri Lanka host South Africa.

November - Australia host New Zealand.

December - Australia host England; Pakistan host West Indies; South Africa host India.

2007

January - No tours.

February - New Zealand host India; South Africa host Pakistan; Sri Lanka host Zimbabwe; West Indies host Australia.

March - No tours.

April - World Cup in West Indies.

May - No tours.

June - England host India.

July - No tours.

August - Sri Lanka host New Zealand.

September - Zimbabwe host Pakistan.

October - India host Zimbabwe; Pakistan host South Africa; Sri Lanka host England.

November - Australia host Sri Lanka.

December - Australia host India; New Zealand host Sri Lanka; South Africa host West Indies.

2008

January - South Africa host West Indies.

February - India host West Indies; New Zealand host England; Pakistan host Australia; South Africa host Zimbabwe.

March - No tours.

April - West Indies host New Zealand.

May - England host Zimbabwe; Sri Lanka host West Indies.

June - England host South Africa.

July - Sri Lanka host India.

August - No tours.

September - Sri Lanka host Australia; Zimbabwe host West Indies.

October - India host South Africa; Pakistan host New Zealand.

November - Australia host Pakistan.

December - Australia host West Indies; New Zealand host Pakistan; South Africa host England; Zimbabwe host Sri Lanka.

2009

January - South Africa host India.

February - New Zealand host Australia; West Indies host England.

March - Pakistan host India.

April - West Indies host Zimbabwe.

May - England host New Zealand.

June - No tours.

July - England host Australia; Sri Lanka host West Indies.

August - No tours.

September - No tours.

October - India host New Zealand; South Africa host Sri Lanka; Zimbabwe host England.

November - Australia host Zimbabwe; Pakistan host England.

December - Australia host South Africa; India host Sri Lanka; New Zealand host West Indies.

2010

January - India host Sri Lanka; New Zealand host West Indies.

February - New Zealand host Zimbabwe; Pakistan host Sri Lanka; South Africa host Australia.

March - West Indies host India.

April - West Indies host Pakistan.

May - No tours.

June - No tours.

July - England host West Indies.

August - Pakistan host Sri Lanka.

September - Zimbabwe host New Zealand.

October - India host Australia; South Africa host New Zealand.

November - Australia host England; Pakistan host Zimbabwe.

December - New Zealand host Sri Lanka; South Africa host Pakistan.

2011

January - India host Pakistan.

February - New Zealand host South Africa; West Indies host Australia.

March - Pakistan host Sri Lanka; Zimbabwe host India.

April - West Indies host South Africa.

May-December - No tours planned as yet.

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