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England cricket team unveils plan to tour Pakistan in September

Ben Stokes will lead his England Test cricket team in Pakistan for the first time in 17 years.

Ben Stokes will lead his England Test cricket team in Pakistan for the first time in 17 years. Photo: AP

England will tour Pakistan in September for the first time in 17 years, where they will play seven Twenty20 and three Tests in two spells.

England pulled out of its Pakistan tour last year soon after New Zealand had abandoned its tour of the South Asian country over security concerns.

Beginning on September 20, England will play seven T20s in Karachi and Lahore in the first leg of their tour.

After the T20 World Cup in Australia, England will return to play the Tests in December, the PCB said in a statement, adding the schedule of these matches would be shared later.

“We demonstrated our event planning and operational skills in the highly successful series against Australia in March/April and I am confident we will be able to replicate these when England visit us for the first time since 2005,” said Zakir Khan, PCB director of international cricket.

Top teams had shunned Pakistan since six policemen and two civilians were killed in a 2009 attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.

The PCB’s hopes to host major teams suffered a double blow last year when England followed New Zealand in withdrawing from their tour of the country.

Pakistan has since played the Australia series on home soil, after a gap of 24 years, and also landed hosting rights for next year’s Asia Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.

New Zealand will also return to Pakistan in December for the first leg of their tour.

The PCB will also host a three-match T20 series against the West Indies in January.

-Reuters
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