Reports | ECB to fly out Pakistan team via charter for series in July

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, all cricket was indefinitely postponed and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), too, pushed all events till June 30. However, the English board were keen on resuming cricket with the home series against West Indies, originally scheduled to begin in early June, first and then Pakistan, that is scheduled to begin on July 30.

Pakistan were scheduled to play three Tests followed by as many T20Is in July-September. England are now eyeing on going on with the series as scheduled, in front of empty stands to control the spread of the virus, and have contingency plans prepared for it. Meanwhile, the UK government have also stated that cricket can resume in June, and the ECB are keen on hosting the West Indies and Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will wait until they receive "advice" on the matter from their government.

Ahead of that, the West Indies cricket team will now land in England on July 1 to first undergo a two-week quarantine period before beginning with a 26-day series that is likely to stretch to August. England have planned to fly the Pakistan team in the UK mid-July to under quarantine for a similar period and some time to warm up before the series begins in August.

The PCB, on Thursday, announced that Pakistan's Test and T20 squads will fly together as ECB makes all efforts to fly the teams in on charter, sanitised for all practical purposes. The English broad will, reportedly, fly the squad into the UK via charter. 

"That's the reason, Pakistan's Test and T20 team will fly in and out together. A good reason why ECB won't mind spending the extra money on the charter" sources in the know said,” say those tracking developments, as quoted by TOI.