The upcoming three-match Test series between England and Pakistan is facing uncertainty regarding the venues where the matches will be played due to the ongoing construction work going on in the National Cricket Stadium of Karachi, which thereby raises the chances of the series getting shifted to Sri Lanka or the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The stadiums of Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi are undergoing renovation work for next year’s Champions Trophy which is going to take place in Pakistan and this development is creating difficulties for the PCB in organising bilateral-series matches in the country.
The first-test match of the series is scheduled to be played between 7-11 October in the city of Multan, the second test-match from the 15th of October till 19th in the city of Karachi, while the third and final encounter of the series will be played between 24th and 28th of October in Rawalpindi’s Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Nevertheless, the delays in the construction work is causing inconveniences in hosting the test-matches and if the construction-work is halted, then the preparations of next year’s Champions Trophy will get impacted. Plus, organising matches without letting fans enter the stadium is not going to be a feasible option for the PCB either.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the cricket governing body of the country, is considering the alternative venue options in Sri Lanka or the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
However, the Zayed Cricket Stadium of Abu Dhabi is the only realistic option for hosting games in the UAE as the matches of ICC’s upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 are going to be played in Sharjah (Sharjah Cricket Stadium) and Dubai (Dubai International Cricket Stadium).
With no official confirmation in regards to the venues, the PCB is anticipated to announce the final-stadium confirmations after holding a meeting with the ECB (England Cricket Board) in the next few days.
It’s worth noting that the Shaheens lost the two-match Test series against Bangladesh recently and the upcoming one against the Three Lions is going to be a must win one for the Shan Masood-led team if they want to stay alive in the race of playing in the WTC 2023-25 final.
Read: ENG vs SL 3rd Test: Strongest Playing11s, Full Squads, Date and Time, Venue and More Details
For more information, visit the official website of PCB