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LAHORE, Pakistan, Jan 14, AFP, Asia will make a joint bid for the 2011 cricket World Cup with India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh agreeing to host the mega event, officials said on Saturday. `The four Test nations from Asia have reached an understanding and a written bid will be made in the next few days," Indian cricket chief Sharad Pawar told reporters here.

Pawar, who is in Lahore to witness the ongoing first Test between India and Pakistan, said he had discussed the bid issue with his Pakistani counterpart Shahrayar Khan.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to decide the host country in March and although it is Australia's turn to hold the event, Asia wants to organise every third World Cup.

Pakistan and India jointly hosted the 1987 World Cup after the first three events in 1975, 1979 and 1983 were held in England.

Sri Lanka joined Pakistan and India as hosts of the 1996 tournament and England once again played hosts in 1999.

The 2003 edition of cricket's premier tournament was held in southern Africa and the next tournament in 2007 will be organised in the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan announced they will have bilateral series every two years on the pattern of the traditional Ashes between Australia and England.

"India and Pakistan will play Test series every two years, but the number of Tests and one-dayers will be decided later," said Pawar.

Pakistan's Khan said a two-year gap provided the right balance for series between the arch rivals.

"We think that it won't be an overkill because the eagerness is there and we don't think the two-year period will kill the excitement," said Khan. Pakistan and India are also thinking on the lines of playing limited-overs matches at neutral venues every year for the next five years.

"We have offshore venues like Florida and New Jersey in the United States and some venues in the United Arab Emirates and we want to popularise cricket in these countries," Pawar said.

Both India and Pakistan will also play two charity matches to help victims of the devastating earthquake which shook both sides of Kashmir on October 8 last year.

"We will play the matches at a neutral venue in April this year and 75 percent of the proceeds will go to earthquake victims of Pakistan and the rest to the people affected in India," Pawar said. Both countries also decided to have more cricket at Under-17 and Under-19 levels.

"We want more cricket between the two countries and besides having more junior tours, the winners of India's premier first class tournament, Ranji trophy and Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam trophy will also play every year," said Pawar.

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