Brendon McCullum, the England team coach, has sought clarity from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the venues of the upcoming three-Test series between Pakistan and England, to be played in Pakistan.
The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the National Stadium in Karachi are both receiving extensive renovations, while Rawalpindi Stadium, which hosted the two Tests against Bangladesh, is also being renovated in preparation for the Champions Trophy in February next year. Pakistan will host its first ICC event since 1996.
However, there are implications to work being done at the largest stadiums. Following the Test in Rawalpindi, which was played in front of empty spectators, it is being suggested that the following England Test series may be moved to Abu Dhabi.
Lahore is not scheduled to host a match until the Champions Trophy, while Karachi, which was previously assigned a Test against Bangladesh, will play its debut game against the West Indies in January next year.
It has left Pakistan with two alternatives for hosting Test cricket: Multan and Rawalpindi. Faisalabad’s Iqbal Cricket Stadium has also surfaced as a possible successor.
Another aspect to consider is the approaching Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) conference on October 15-16. The heads of numerous governments are scheduled to gather in Islamabad for the occasion, while security and housing requirements rule out Rawalpindi as a venue for the second Test, which will be held from October 15 to 19.
If Pakistan hosts the series, Rawalpindi can host the first and third Tests, while Multan will host the second. Multan has another choice for hosting back-to-back Tests: the initial two or the last two.
“We don’t really know”- England coach Brendon McCullum on PCB finalizing venues
It has left PCB in a mess, forcing them to make a rapid decision. If the Test series is shifted overseas, the UAE is a strong contender, with Abu Dhabi the sole candidate.
The T20 Women’s World Cup, which was relocated from Bangladesh, is scheduled to take place in Dubai and Sharjah during that time frame. However, Abu Dhabi is scheduled to host an Ireland against South Africa white-ball series that will conclude on October 7 – the same day as the first Test match.
England coach Brendon McCullum addressed the issue on Thursday, speaking with reporters at The Oval ahead of the third Test against Sri Lanka.
“We don’t really know (what is happening in Pakistan) but we can’t pick a team until we know where we’re going to play. It would be nice if, over the next couple of days, we found out. Then we’ll sit down and make sure we’ve got the right team for the right conditions and the right opposition,” Brendon McCullum told reporters ahead of the 3rd England v Sri Lanka Test at the Oval.
England are currently scheduled to play the first Test in Multan from October 7, followed by matches at Karachi and Rawalpindi.
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