Pakistan Confirms Home Test Series Against England in Multan and Rawalpindi

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the upcoming home Test series against England will take place in Pakistan, despite earlier reports suggesting a possible shift to Sri Lanka or the UAE. The series, part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, will proceed as planned with matches in Multan and Rawalpindi.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi quashed reports of a venue change, stating that the venues are final and games will not be played outside the country. "No Tests will be played outside (the country). Multan and Rawalpindi venues are final," Naqvi said.

The confirmation comes after reports emerged that the series might be moved out of Pakistan due to ongoing renovation work at stadiums in preparation for next year's ICC Champions Trophy. However, Naqvi clarified that the venues are ready and will not be affected by the construction activities.

Recently, the PCB had to shift the second Test of their series against Bangladesh from Karachi to Rawalpindi because of similar renovation work. Spectators were barred from attending that match due to the construction activities. Experts had advised that construction could continue during playing hours, potentially distracting players because of the noise and dust.

England head coach Brendon McCullum had expressed concerns about the venue uncertainty, saying it made team selection difficult. "We don't know (what is happening in Pakistan), but we can't pick a team until we know where we're going to play. It would be nice if, over the next couple of days, we found out. Then we'll sit down and make sure we've got the right team for the right conditions and the right opposition," McCullum had said.

The first Test of the three-match series between Pakistan and England is scheduled to begin on October 7 in Multan. The second match will take place in Karachi starting October 15. The series will conclude with the third Test in Rawalpindi on October 24.

Tags: #PakistanCricket, #EnglandCricket, #TestSeries, #ICCWorldTestChampionship, #Multan