Bangladesh has offered to host the forthcoming Test and one-day international series between Pakistan and West Indies.

The series was in doubt after the West Indies Cricket Board refused to allow their players to travel to Pakistan because of the current military build-up on the border with India.

Pakistan have not played a home Test since last August, with tours by New Zealand and Sri Lanka cancelled last year because of the bombing in neighbouring Afghanistan in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the USA.

It is believed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lost around $10m as a result of the two cancellations.

They are now awaiting a response from their West Indies counterparts as to whether playing the matches in Bangladesh is an acceptable alternative.

Such a move would have the backing of the International Cricket Council, which agreed last October to the use of neutral venues.

"Pakistan have agreed in principle to play against the West Indies here and we have offered to host the series.

"Pakistan proposed that they would play the Tests in Dhaka and the one-day internationals in Sharjah, but we offered to host the whole tour instead," said Ashraful Haq, director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

The Pakistan team is currently in Bangladesh for two Tests and three one-day internationals.

They were then due to return home to play three matches in each format against West Indies, whose tour was due to begin on 25 January.

A proposed itinerary has been sent to Bangladesh by the PCB, but changes may have to be made because the Muslim Eid-Al-Azha festival takes place in February.

West Indies and Pakistan last met in the Caribbean in early 2000, when the home side won a three-Test series 1-0.