Reports | Englandâs tour to Pakistan postponed until the end of 2021
With Englandâs series against Sri Lanka and India scheduled for the early part of 2021, ESPNCricinfo has reported that Englandâs proposed tour against Pakistan is postponed till the end of 2021. The reports also added that playersâ unavailability is the biggest reason for the postponement.
Immediately after Englandâs home series against Pakistan, the PCB got a word of agreement from the English board regarding the English team visiting them later next year. While the series was scheduled to go ahead in the first half of the 2021 calendar year, ESPNCricinfo has reported that the series is postponed till September or October, owing to Englandâs already finalised series against Sri Lanka and India.Â
With most of the English players either busy with their Big Bash League assignment, or in the squad to face both India and Sri Lanka, they might not have their first-team players available for the series against Pakistan, which has prompted them to postpone the series, according to the reports. In what could have been Englandâs first visit to Pakistan in 15 years, there were prospects that the Three Lions would field a weakened âCâ side for the series.Â
However, both sides - England and Pakistan have agreed that on the historic occasion, they donât want to play the series with weakened teams. On top of that, the lack of international stars on Englandâs front would have had a knock-on effect on the Asian sideâs broadcasting deal. Now it is expected that Eoin Morganâs side would face them just before the T20 World Cup in India, with a full-strength squad.
A strong relationship between the two cricketing boards was one of the major reasons that a tour could be squeezed out in the cricketing calendar. As per the reports, England would be looking to play a three-match T20I series against Pakistan after their domestic season gets over in late September.Â