New Delhi, October 30
Cricket buffs are in for a mega treat. The Ministry of Home Affairs today cleared Pakistan cricket team’s tour of India for a limited-over series beginning December 25 and said the government will provide foolproof security to the visiting team.

The arch-rivals have not played a bilateral series since Pakistan’s tour of India in 2007 after cricket ties were snapped following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

A delegation of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) met Union Home Secretary RK Singh here today. BCCI senior official and Union Minister Rajiv Shukla said the Board delegation discussed with the Home Secretary about security and logistical issues. "We have discussed all security aspects. The tour is on," he told reporters here. The BCCI has finalised dates for the one-day series, with the first match due to kick off on December 25.

The series would comprise three ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals between December 2012 and January 2013. The ODI matches are likely to be played in Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi and the Twenty20 games in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Central forces will be deployed to aid the state police in guarding the match venues.

In July, the BCCI had decided to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan by inviting the neighbouring country for a short series in December 2012-January 2013, to be sandwiched between the Test and ODI legs of the England team's tour of India.

Apart from the security issues, the Union Home Ministry also gives visa clearance to Pakistani spectators.