Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday said they will follow the Government’s advice though it had agreed in principle to the itinerary prepared for India’s tour of Pakistan early next year by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“We have finalised our Pakistan tour programme with the PCB and, in fact, have done so till the end of April, which includes our tour of New Zealand. But as the time comes nearer to touring (Pakistan), we will have to wait for the advice (on the itinerary) from our government,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said here.

As per the itinerary finalised and released by the PCB on Thursday, Rawalpindi is set to host a Test and a one-dayer during the January-February 2009 tour. The PCB had also said it might have to review the itinerary in the wake of the deadly blasts in neighbouring Islamabad while declaring the tour programme.

As per the programme, the January 4 to February 19 tour would feature three Tests, five one-dayers, a Twenty20 match and a three-day practice match.

A senior PCB official had said the tour’s itinerary was approved by the Indians (BCCI) but admitted they might want to have a review of venues after the Marriott hotel blast in Islamabad.

The PCB had also sent to the BCCI a brief of the security plan for the tour, which is on the lines of the one prepared for the (postponed) Champions Trophy with which the Indian board did not have any problems, according to a PCB official.

THE ITINERARY

Jan. 4: Arrival in Karachi

Jan. 6-8: Three-day tour match — Hyderabad

Jan. 13-17: First Test — Karachi

Jan. 21-25: Second Test — Rawalpindi

Jan. 29-Feb. 2: Third Test — Lahore

Feb. 6: First one-day International — Faisalabad

Feb. 8: Second one-day International — Lahore

Feb. 11: Third one-day International — Rawalpindi

Feb. 14: Fourth one-day International — Multan

Feb. 17: Fifth one-day International — Karachi

Feb. 19: Twenty20 International — Karachi (Agencies)