The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is trying to convince Cricket Australia to play two-match ODI series in Pakistan before the 2019 World Cup, slated to be held in England from May 30.

As per a report in PTI, PCB chairman Ehsan Mani said that the five-match series is scheduled to be held in UAE sometime in late March and early April and PCB was trying to persuade the Australians to play two games in Pakistan.

A PCB official said that the series could be rescheduled as the Aussies want to play it as close to the World Cup as possible. The source said that Pakistan also had a five-match ODI series in England just before the showpiece event.

"Since we will be hosting the Australians, we have told them try to play two matches in Pakistan. The process is on but nothing is final as yet," Ehsan Mani quoted as saying by PTI.

Australia has not played in Pakistan since 1998 and Mani added that to persuade top teams to play in Pakistan it was a matter of changing perceptions about the security conditions in Pakistan.

"Once anyone comes to Pakistan and views the situation by himself, it will not be hard to convince him that international cricket can return to Pakistan properly. But it is not easy trying to change the perception of people who have not been to Pakistan in recent times," he said.

Ehsan Mani acknowledged that Pakistan needed top teams to start visiting again. International cricket has been on a hold in Pakistan since March, 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.

Since then no touring side has played a full series including Tests in Pakistan and between September 2017 to April 2018 PCB was able to convince teams to come and play short T20 series including a ICC World eleven, Sri Lanka and West Indies.

(With PTI inputs)