Australia are to tour Pakistan for the first time in nearly 24 years when they play three Test matches, three one-day internationals (ODIs) and a Twenty20 international next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday.
Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore are scheduled to host the three Test matches in March, and the limited-overs portion is to be played in Lahore from March 29 to April 5.
The Test matches are to be part of the World Test Championship, while the ODIs are to be counted toward World Cup Super League.
Photo: AFP
Mark Taylor led Australia to a 1-0 victory in the last Test series that they played in Pakistan in 1998. Since then, Pakistan have hosted Australia four times at neutral venues in Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.
“Australia are one of the high-performing sides and them playing in our backyard for the first time after a gap of 24 years will be a special treat for the fans,” PCB chairman Ramiz Raja said in a statement.
“Likewise, it will be a great opportunity for the Australia cricketers to not only play at our iconic venues, but also feel and enjoy the respect, love and hospitality that this great country offers, something which most of their previous generation of cricketers missed out by playing offshore,” Raja added.
Pakistan was off-limits for hosting international cricket for almost a decade after the Sri Lanka team’s bus came under attack in Lahore in March 2009. Eight people were killed during the terror attack, and several Sri Lankan players were injured.
Pakistan also lost their status as cohosts for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Sri Lanka were the first team to return for a Test series, in December 2019, and were followed by Bangladesh and South Africa. Other teams have toured for limited-overs series.
Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley acknowledged the efforts of the PCB in planning next year’s tour, and said that he looked forward to close cooperation to finalize the operations, logistics, security and COVID-19 protocols.
“The safety and welfare of our players and staff remain our No. 1 priority,” Hockley said in a statement. “We will continue to work with the PCB and relevant agencies to ensure that appropriate and sufficient arrangements are put in place for the tour.”
The PCB said that a Cricket Australia delegation would visit Pakistan to finalize arrangements.
Tomorrow, Pakistan and Australia are to meet in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Just before the T20 World Cup, New Zealand abandoned their limited-overs tour of Pakistan due to security concerns, and England also pulled out, citing player welfare concerns.
Pakistan are set to host the West Indies from Dec. 13 to 22 in three T20s and three ODIs. It would be the West Indies’ first tour of Pakistan since April 2018, when they played three T20s.
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