The West Indies will be able to take advantage of the power these two huge economies and countries offer Malcolm Speed

"This will give the West Indies a chances to exploit a huge market," said ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.

"At the ICC, we are very happy that the matches will be played in the United States and Canada. It will promote the game in these two countries."

Each series will feature at least three but no more than five matches.

Full details will be revealed at a meeting of officials from the two boards in New York on 3 June.

Venues have yet to be decided but the West Indies Cricket Board has confirmed a plan to stage at least one game in the Florida, where a new stadium is being built at Fort Lauderdale.

Canada, meanwhile, has plenty of experience hosting one-day internationals with 22 games played there between 1996 and 1999, involving India, Pakistan and West Indies.

North America is a fertile area for us to develop. The Indian diaspora is a large one and so is the West Indian Ken Gordon

"Once the BCCI (Indian board) heard that North America was ready, they were also ready and we found what looks like a convenient period when both teams were available.

"Now we have to work out the details," said West Indies Cricket Board president Ken Gordon.

"North America is a fertile area for us to develop. The Indian diaspora is a large one and so is the West Indian.

"It makes all kind of sense for us to take advantage of that because we have captive markets," he added.

The timing of the series in August and September is ideal for both sides as it will give them match practice ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which takes place in India in October and November.

And they also fit in with India's five-year plan to take the game to countries with large expatriate populations, having already played two fixtures against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

The ICC's support for the series against West Indies represents a significant shift by the game's world governing body, who had previously opposed the scheduling of matches outside their own Future Tours Programme.

But the series may help their own initiative in trying to spread the game in North America.

Project USA was put on hold in February 2005 because of the ICC's concerns about the way the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) was organised.

But last month formal recognition of the USACA was reinstated, subject to it holding independently-monitored elections of its officials before the end of November.