As Pakistan fights to ensure they are able to host the 2025 Champions Trophy (CT) amid doubts over India's travel status to the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have been hit with a major setback as they are likely to be unable to host the series against England at home next month.
Just days after the PCB were forced to move the second Test against Bangladesh to Rawalpindi for Karachi due to construction work at the National Stadium, it has now emerged that the Shan Masood-led out might have to play the entire series against England in either Sri Lanka or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a report by CricketPakistan..com
The three Test matches against England are scheduled to take place in Multan (October 7 to 11), Karachi (October 15 to 19), and Rawalpindi (October 24-28). Due to the CT, the stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi are currently undergoing renovation, which poses a huge challenge to hosting the three Test matches.
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The published information states that if PCB decides to halt construction work during the series, it will make it a huge challenge to ensure the stadiums are ready for the mega event, which is reportedly scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9 next year.
Another option is to play the matches without a crowd, but with fans from England, such as the popular fan group Barmy Army, set to travel to Pakistan, that possibility is ruled out.
A final decision from PCB is likely to be made in the next few days after a discussion with the England Cricket Board (ECB). While the UAE has emerged as Pakistan's preferred option to host the series, the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 (October 3-20) clashes with the series, which will mean that both the Dubai and Sharjah stadiums are occupied, leaving only the stadium in Abu Dhabi available.
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Hence, PCB is also considering Sri Lanka as a possible host country for the three-match series.
The England series is a huge challenge for Pakistan, who are currently 8th in the World Test Championship (WTC) table and cannot afford any more slip-ups if they want to reach the final.
However, Pakistan's home record in recent times has been unimpressive to say the least as they have not won a single Test on home soil since February 2021 and are currently on a winless streak of 10 matches.