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LAHORE: The Indian Under-19 team will travel to Pakistan to play two four-day matches and three one-day matches in September, a PCB official announced. The Indian board has also confirmed the tour.

The tour, which is a regular fixture at youth level between the two countries, is scheduled to be played at smaller venues like Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and Sialkot as the Pakistan board attempts to popularise cricket in parts of the country other than the traditionally cricket-friendly cities of Lahore and Karachi. Test matches have been played in all three venues, though the last one was nearly nine years ago, in 1997, when South Africa played in Sheikhupura.

The PCB official said that the matches would provide youngsters with valuable experience and help them learn to play under pressure. India and Pakistan last met each other in the finals of the U-19 World Cup in February 2006 in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan bowled the Indian side out for 71 to retain the trophy.

The Pakistan U-19 team will tour India next year to play a return series.