ECB & PCB confirm tour dates

England will play three Tests and five one-day internationals on their tour of Pakistan this winter, having finally agreed their itinerary after lengthy negotiations with the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The schedule includes three Test matches in Multan, Faisalabad and Lahore and a total of five one-day internationals in Lahore (two matches), Karachi and Rawalpindi (two matches), before the England team fly home in time for christmas.

While the tour dates have been confirmed the agreement is subject to on-going advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the ECB’s own security advisers that all venues are acceptably safe to visit.

ECB also was quick to stress that they believe Multan to be an outstanding cricketing facility and the main reason for suggesting Rawalpindi as an alternative Test venue was because of the greater number of international-class hotels available in that area to the team, media and travelling spectators.

England in Pakistan

* Oct 31-Nov 2: Tour match (Rawalpindi)
Nov 6-8: Tour match (Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore)
Nov 12-16: First Test (Multan)
Nov 20-24: Second Test (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad)
Nov 29-Dec 3: Third Test (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore)

Dec 7: One-day warm-up (Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore)
Dec 10: First ODI (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore)
Dec 12: Second ODI (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore)
Dec 15: Third ODI (National Stadium, Karachi)
Dec 19: Fourth ODI (Rawalpindi)
Dec 21: Fifth ODI (Rawalpindi)

* The first three-day game will be a non first class fixture. If Eid falls on Nov 2 then the third day’s play will be cancelled. There is also an option of starting the first three-day game on October 30.