The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced on Wednesday that it has formally approached the central government to seek clearance to play Pakistan in Sri Lanka in December. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said that he has written to the foreign ministry regarding the matter. The Pakistan Cricket Board is also waiting for the government’s nod, with chairman Shahryar Khan expecting to get an answer from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif soon, reported PTI.

With only a month's window available after India finish their Test Series against South Africa on December 7, the much-awaited series is likely to be confined to three One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals, instead of a full tour involving Test matches. Sri Lanka has emerged as the venue for the series after India refused to play in the United Arab Emirates, alleging it to be a haven for betting and match-fixing. Pakistan has been playing its home matches in the UAE since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009.