After 17 years, Ben Stokes-led England team has traveled to Pakistan to play a Test series.
The England cricket team last played a Test series in Pakistan in 2005. And now after 17 years, they are going to play a Test series against Pakistan on their own soil. England players for the 3-match Test series arrived in Islamabad today (November 27).
The first Test between the two teams will begin on December 1 in Rawalpindi. The 2nd Test will be played on December 9 in Multan and the third and final Test on December 17 in Karachi.
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Ahead of the World Cup in Australia, England toured Pakistan for a 7-match T20I series. England-Pakistan teams clashed in the T20 World Cup final as well. England beat Pakistan in the final to win the title.
England toured Pakistan before the last World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. New Zealand canceled their ODI series before the start of the tournament and returned home without playing Pakistan. Following this, the England tour to Pakistan was canceled due to security concerns. The security of the England team was also considered ahead of England’s Test series tour. The reason for that is the recent incense burning attack on Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
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Meanwhile, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has assured Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Rameez Raja that his protest against the government will not affect the England tour to Pakistan.
After the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009, many countries’ cricket boards decided that it was not safe to tour Pakistan. So, everyone was reluctant to take their team on the tour to Pakistan. In this span of 17 years, Pakistan has played a Test series with England twice in the UAE.
About the Pakistan tour, England captain Ben Stokes said: It has been many years since England toured Pakistan and played Test matches. We have trained in Abu Dhabi before the start of the series. There is concern about what happened to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. However, we have security officer Reg Dickason with us. He said we are in his safe hands.
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England’s tour of Pakistan is seen as crucial for the World Test Championship final. Pakistan is 5th and England 7th in the Test rankings. That may change after this series.
England squad for Pakistan Test series: Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, Zach Crawley, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett, Liam Livingston, Ben Fox, Will Jacks, Keaton Jennings, Jack Leach, James Anderson, Jamie Overton, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Rihan Ahmed.