England to tour Pakistan for a 3-match Test series in October
England will tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series in October 2024 as part of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The Ben Stokes-led side are currently gearing up for their home summer, which includes red-ball series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed the schedule for the tour, beginning from October 7 onwards. Multan, Karachi, and Rawalpindi have been assigned to host the matches. Pakistan and England are languishing in the bottom half of the table after a poor first half of the cycle.
The Men in Green began proceedings with a series win over Sri Lanka but endured a whitewash in Australia. England, on the other hand, drew the Ashes against Australia at home but lost 1-4 away to India at the start of the year.
“We’re really excited to be returning to Pakistan for this three-match Men’s Test tour in October. Our last Men’s Test tour of Pakistan produced some memorable matches and I’m sure fans can look forward to more exciting cricket across this forthcoming series," ECB chief executive officer Richard Gould told ECB.
England's tour of Pakistan schedule
7-11 Oct – First Test, Multan
15-19 Oct – Second Test, Karachi
24-28 Oct – Third Test, Rawalpindi
England secured a historic 3-0 whitewash away to Pakistan in 2022
The last time England toured Pakistan, the Bazball phenomenon was in its early stages. With series wins over New Zealand and South Africa at home with the aggressive approach, several were skeptical of it working on subcontinent conditions.
The flat surfaces in Pakistan only aided England's cause as they recorded a 3-0 whitewash. The Ben Stokes-led side proceeded to shatter several records in the series, including scoring 506 runs on the first day of the tour itself in Rawalpindi. Additionally, young players like Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, and Will Jacks stood out in the series while Ben Duckett cemented his spot at the top of the order.
England were equally ruthless in Multan and Karachi to wrap up the series win in style. PCB chairman Ramiz Raja was sacked following the humiliating defeat on home soil.