The Pakistan Cricket Board has informed the International Cricket Council it plans to host India in a full Test series early next year.

"The message I got from the Asian cricket foundation meeting in Dubai was that the Indian board is very keen and serious about resuming bilateral cricket ties with us," PCB chairman Tauqir Zia told a news conference in Lahore.

"Once the Indian government gives clearance for resumption of bilateral cricket ties with us, the Indian board has assured us it was willing to tour Pakistan early next year."

Hopes of normal relations resuming between Pakistan and India have risen after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee offered peace talks last month.

Since the offer the Indian government has also announced it would send a high commissioner to Islamabad and resume air links.

"In the backdrop of the recent statements coming from both governments I think there is a real chance of India coming to Pakistan and the ice being broken in cricket relations between the two countries," Zia added.

India last played on Pakistan soil in 1997 with three one-day matches with Pakistan and have not played a Test series in the country since 1989.

The last time both teams met in a Test series was in early 1999 when Pakistan toured India despite threats from the Shiv Sena.

But since June 2000 when both teams met in the Asia Cup final in Dhaka, the Indian government has banned bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan but allowed participation in multilateral events. The two teams met for the first time since June 2000 in this year's World Cup.

Pakistan recently announced it would not play in this year's Asia Cup in retaliation for India's withdrawal from their scheduled tour of Pakistan last April, a move the PCB says has cost it revenues in excess of $10 million dollars.

Zia said that if India first toured Pakistan early next year than Pakistan would review its decision on playing in the Asia Cup. Under the ICC Future Test Programme plan, which requires all 10-member countries to play each other four times in a decade, Pakistan are scheduled to tour India in February 2004.

However, Zia said that if India were to resume bilateral cricketing ties, they had to first play in Pakistan.