Pakistan to tour England in 2020, confirms PCB director
Pakistan will be touring England next year to play three T20Is and as many Tests, which will also be a part of the World Test Championships. PCB’s Director has talked about the friendly relationships between the two cricket boards and highlighted the upcoming series’ significance to the nation.
It was made official on Wednesday that England will be playing host to Pakistan for a couple of bilateral series across formats. The three Test matches will be played first, with the first one scheduled to start from July the third at Lord’s. The next two matches will be hosted by Manchester and Trent Bridge, scheduled to start from the seventh and 20th of August respectively. The results will be counted in the teams’ respective points tally for the World test Championships.
This will be followed by three T20Is slated to be held at Leeds on August 29, Cardiff on August 31 and Southampton on the second of September.
"This tour holds special significance since this will be Pakistan's first-ever tour of England for World Test Championship matches," Zakir Khan, PCB's director of International cricket was quoted saying by Cricbuzz.
"A tour of England tests the skills and limits of the visiting sides and I anticipate this tour to help Pakistan furnish their red-ball skills and also prepare them for the all-important ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later in 2020,” he added.
Pakistan will be returning the favour in 2022 by welcoming England for three ODIs and Tests in the months of October and December respectively.
"The PCB and the English and Wales Cricket Board enjoy an amicable relationship and this being Pakistan's third bilateral tour of England in the last four years perfectly mirrors it. In 2010, the ECB provided the PCB facilities to host Australia in a two-match Test series."
The Test series is scheduled shortly after West Indies also visit the island nation for taking part in a three-Test series before Australia go head to head against the hosts in three games of either format of white ball cricket. The series against Pakistan will be followed by three ODIs against Ireland to mark the end of the 2020 home season.
