Pakistan is eyeing its biggest international home series in more than a decade.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that an invitation has been extended to the England and Wales Cricket Board for a T20 International series. If all goes well, England will tour Pakistan for the first time in 15 years.
England are expected to play three T20 Internationals in Karachi between January 13 and 20 next year. No England team has visiting Pakistan since 2005.
“PCB CEO Wasim Khan has invited the England cricket team to tour Pakistan via an official email and the PCB officials are very hopeful that the England and Wales Cricket Board will respond positively,” Pakistan daily The Dawn has quoted a PCB source as saying.
Pakistan had toured England between July and August this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic threat to play Tests and T20 Internationals.
Now PCB expects the ECB to reciprocate the gesture.
It is expected that England can visit Pakistan ahead of their scheduled series against India.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India President Sourav Ganguly is keen on hosting England in India. However, if the COVID-19 threat doesn’t relent, India will be hosting England in the UAE. The Emirates Cricket Board has also facilitated the ongoing Indian Premier League in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
No major international team has travelled Pakistan ever since the Sri Lanka team bus en route to the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore was attacked by militants in 2009.
However, the PCB in the past few years has successfully hosted Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the West Indies.