LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi Tuesday said that after Sri Lanka's successful visit to Lahore for a Twenty20 international match, the Board remains 'hopeful' that Bangladesh and South Africa will visit Pakistan next year.

"We have the option of hosting Ireland and Afghanistan, too. However, after visits by the World XI and Sri Lanka teams to Lahore, we want to invite the big teams, " Sethi he told media after the final of the AH Kardar National School Championship at Gadaffi stadium.

"We are trying to host Bangladesh and South Africa next year in Pakistan. I am hopeful that they will visit in next 12 months," Sethi added.

On Oct 29, Pakistan had hosted Sri Lanka at the Gaddafi Stadium for the third and final match of the T20 international. Sri Lanka had returned to play in Pakistan eight years after a terrorist attack on their team bus near the same venue.

Earlier this year, Pakistan had held the Independence Cup 2017, which marked the homecoming of international cricket. Three matches were held at the Gaddafi Stadium, with the home team playing against a World XI side comprising a variety of T20 specialists.

Sethi also said that the PCB is in touch with the West Indies Cricket Board and expects to hear a response regarding the schedule of a West Indies T20 series in Pakistan.

"I am hopeful that all the big names from West Indies will come to Pakistan for the series," Sethi said.

Sethi added that a schedule for three T20Is with Windies, the world champions, is due to be finalised in the next three days. While sources said the West Indies Players Association was objecting to the tour citing security fears, Sethi said Cricket West Indies were demanding a reciprocal series.

“CWI is asking for a return series so we told them that we can play Twenty20 matches in 2019, which will be late for them. So the other option is that we could share the revenues of the series in Lahore,” said Sethi.

Apart from international cricket, Sethi said the PCB were also considering hosting the final of the third edition of the PSL in Karachi instead of Lahore.

Last month, Sethi had announced that three play-off matches and the final would be in Lahore, while four games would be held in Karachi. There was enormous pressure on the PCB to host international and PSL matches in cities other than Karachi, with people even commenting that international cricket was revived in Lahore, and not Pakistan.

Forced by the criticism, PCB initiated a security assessment of Karachi’s National Stadium last week, and also started refurbishment work which is expected to take four months. Sethi also visited Karachi last week and inspected the stadium. On Tuesday, Sethi said PCB were considering the option of hosting the PSL final in Karachi.

“After all the assessment, we are considering hosting the final of the PSL in Karachi and the play-offs in Lahore,” Sethi told the media in Lahore.

"Before we have decided to stage two to three matches of the PSL at Karachi and now a new proposal has been tabled to allocate the final to the port city."

He said it will be his effort that PSL final should take place at Karachi.

The PCB chief said the Sri Lankan team has left Pakistan with pleasant and lasting memories after playing third and the last T20 international here.

"The visiting Lankan Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera at a meeting with Federal Inter Provincial Minister, Riaz Pirzada agreed to have more sports ties between the two countries," he said. "We will making efforts to have Pak-Lanka series in Pakistan", said Sethi.