There was a little bit of doubt over the upcoming three-match Test series between Pakistan and England, as the venues were not confirmed to the England Cricket Board (ECB), even just a couple of weeks before the start of the late autumn trip. But, finally, the PCB has come up with a revised schedule for the three games.
Pakistan has been preparing for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, which they will host in the second week of February next year. Due to this reason, most of the grounds in the country have been under renovation. The national stadium in Karachi lost the opportunity to schedule the second red-ball game against Bangladesh last month.
The Gaddafi stadium in Lahore was also under construction during this period, as its next arranged game in the bilateral program is the upcoming red-ball game against West Indies towards the start of the next year.
Pakistan to host first two England Tests in Multan
According to the original schedule of the three-match Test series, which has been part of the ongoing third cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, the second game was bound to happen in Karachi, where the Ben Stokes-led side secured a historic 3-0 clean sweep on their most recent visit to the country in December 2022.
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However, due to the construction work, it was unavailable to host the second game, while Rawalpindi Stadium in Islamabad had the issue of hosting the second game due to the major international conference in neighboring Islamabad from October 15 to 16.
At one point in time, the possibility was to move the three games to the United Aran Emirates (UAE), with Abu Dhabi raised to be the possible venue for the games.
However, the recent agreements have revealed that the series will begin in Multan on October 07, before the same ground hosting the second Test on October 15. Both Pakistan and England players will move to Rawalpindi, where the third Test begins on October 24.
“PCB is thrilled to welcome the England men’s cricket team back to Pakistan. Despite minor adjustments, we are committed to supporting fans and ensuring a memorable tour. We look forward to a fiercely competitive Test series and showcasing Pakistan’s renowned hospitality.” The PCB director, Usman Wahla, expressed in the statement.
England is scheduled to arrive in Multan five days before the start of the game, as the Pakistan side will also assemble in the city on the same date. The announcement ends the weeks of uncertainty around the series, as the Ben Stokes-led side announced their 17-member squad a few weeks ago.
The red-ball coach, Brendon McCullum, spoke about not being able to pick the squad until being assured of the conditions where they are going to play the series. The delay, however, has been a huge frustration for the fans, who will find it tough to make the last minute arrangements.
Pakistan will come into the series on the back of their history series defeat against Bangladesh with a 2-0 margin, while England defeated West Indies with a 3-0 margin before winning another red-ball series thanks to a 2-1 margin against Sri Lanka during their home summer.