KARACHI — International cricket’s slow trickle back into Pakistan continues with West Indies set to play a three-match Twenty20 series in Karachi in the first week of April, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has announced. The south Asian country has remained largely starved of international cricket since the 2009 attacks on a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, wounding six players and a British coach and killing eight Pakistanis. The incident forced Pakistan to play nearly all of their home matches in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan has since hosted Zimbabwe, a World XI, and a Sri Lanka team for limited overs matches, all at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. “Good news! West Indies have agreed to play 3 T20 matches in KARACHI on 1, 2 and 4th April,” Sethi tweeted. Karachi will also host the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on March 25. “Lahore had Zimbabwe, PSL2 Final, ICC XI and Sri Lanka. Now it is Karachi’s turn to rise and shine with PSL3 Final and WI,” Sethi added. International Cricket Council’s security consultant Reg Dickason will visit Karachi during the PSL final to assess security arrangement for the Twenty20 series. “Their expert will stay back for seven days and conduct the security for West Indies series. This is part of our agreement with the West Indies board,” Sethi told reporters, adding PCB was unlikely to make any profit from the series. “This will be a one-off series... it will be a loss-making enterprise. The idea wasn’t to make money, it was to bring cricket back, so this is a step in that direction.” Stokes pleads not guilty to affray England all-rounder Ben Stokes pleaded not guilty Monday via video link to a charge of affray over a nightclub incident that forced him out of the Ashes tour. The powerful all-rounder, currently with the England squad in New Zealand, looks set to miss the second Test against India at Lord’s, with his trial set for August 6. Stokes and two other men pleaded not guilty to the charge during a 15-minute hearing at Bristol Crown Court, in the southwest of England. Stokes, 26, wearing a grey shirt, said “hi judge” when he was introduced to Judge Peter Blair via the video link. The two other defendants, Ryan Ali, 28, and Ryan Hale, 26, appeared in person at the court. Judge Blair set a date of August 6 for the trial, which is expected to last between five and seven days. The second Test against India starts on August 9. “You must be here without fail for that trial,” the judge told Stokes, Ali and Hale. “You will remain on bail as before.” Stokes missed the Ashes tour after being suspended from playing for England. England declared Stokes available again after he pleaded not guilty at Bristol Magistrates Court last month and he flew to New Zealand to join the squad after the court hearing. Stokes, Ali and Hale are jointly charged with affray in Bristol on Sept. 25 last year — several hours after England had played a One-Day International against the West Indies. — Agencies