Pakistan Cricket Board consider moving England Tests abroad

England are currently scheduled to play the first Test in Multan from October 7, followed by matches at Karachi and Rawalpindi. read more

Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, the National Stadium in Karachi are undergoing major overhauls and Rawalpindi Stadium, which hosted the two Tests vs Bangladesh, have renovation work going on to prepare for the Champions Trophy in February next year. It is the first ICC event Pakistan are scheduled to host since 1996.

But there are consequences of work being done at the biggest stadiums. After the Test in Rawalpindi was played in front of empty stands, it is being reported that the upcoming England Test series could be moved to Abu Dhabi.

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Lahore is not due to host any match until the Champions Trophy and Karachi, initially allocated a Test vs Bangladesh, will play its first game against West Indies in January next year.

It has left Pakistan with Multan and Rawalpindi as the options to stage Test cricket. There’s potential that all three Tests against England will be played at these two venues but it could slow down work in Rawalpindi.

Faisalabad’s Iqbal Cricket Stadium has also emerged a potential replacement especially as it will host the Champions Cup. But it has not hosted a Test since 2006 and is not a likely venue for a Test either.

Another factor to be taken into consideration is the upcoming Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting on October 15-16. The heads of several states are slated to arrive in Islamabad for the event, and the security and accommodation demands rules out Rawalpindi as an option for the second Test, which will be played from October 15 to 19.

If Pakistan does host the series, Rawalpindi can host the first and third Tests with Multan getting the second. There’s another option in Multan hosting back-to-back Tests - the first two or the last two.

It has left PCB in a mess and have to quickly make their decision. If the Test series is moved outside, with UAE a strong candidate, and Abu Dhabi as the solitary candidate. Dubai and Sharjah are due to host the T20 Women’s World Cup during that period, which was moved from Bangladesh. Abu Dhabi, though, is due to host an Ireland vs South Africa white-ball series that ends on October 7 - the date the first Test is slated to begin.

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With clock ticking down and time running out, PCB have to make a decision quickly.

England coach Brendon McCullum addressed the issue on Thursday while speaking to reporters at The Oval ahead of the third Test against Sri Lanka.

“We don’t really know (what is happening in Pakistan) but we can’t pick a team until we know where we’re going to play,” he said.

“It would be nice if, over the next couple of days, we found out.”

The former New Zealand captain added: “Then we’ll sit down and make sure we’ve got the right team for the right conditions and the right opposition.”

England are currently scheduled to play the first Test in Multan from October 7, followed by matches at Karachi and Rawalpindi.

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England did not tour Pakistan between 2005 and 2022, owing to security concerns, with the Pakistan Cricket Board staging matches in the UAE throughout that period.

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