England will play two additional T20Is against hosts Pakistan next year

England will play two additional T20Is against hosts Pakistan during their tour of Pakistan in September/October next year.

The announcement was made by the board’s Chief Executive Board Tom Harrison following his meeting with the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja.

The ECB official stated that he and his cricket board’s Senior Director Martin Darlow came to Lahore to have a face to face discussion over the events that led to the cancellation of the side’s tour to the country two months back.

“We also wanted to discuss the future as the two boards have a historic relationship and want to move the agenda towards a forward-looking one as opposed to one looking back,” Harrison was quoted saying in PCB’s press release. “We’re happy to announce that we’ll play two extra white-ball T20Is on our men’s tour of Pakistan in September/October 2022.”

He said: “We will then return after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia to complete the Test match element of that tour.”

The CEO said that the upcoming tour reaffirms the commitment to Pakistan cricket to host both the men’s and women’s sides on their behalf.

“I don’t think there’s a cricketer in England who doesn’t want to test their abilities against the huge talent this country has and in the conditions, they know best. We also talked with our colleagues at the PCB around pathway engagement, how we can support proposals around the women’s game and some interesting ideas around the domestic agenda here in Pakistan,” he said.

He stated that the men’s team will then return to Pakistan in November/December at the back of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022 to play three Tests, which will form part of the ICC World Test Championship.

The PCB chief said that he is thankful to the ECB for their commitment as it means a lot to them.

“The ECB have shown their large-heartedness to be here for which I am thankful to Tom and Martin,” he stated. “It means a lot to us. We are excited that England have committed to playing two additional T20Is as part of their white-ball tour in September/October in 2022.”

The PCB chief said that they have put in a lot of effort to ensure that all visiting teams are comfortable when playing in Pakistan.

ٹام ہیریسن کا پاکستان آنا خوش آئند ہے، چیئرمین پی سی بی رمیز راجہ کی مستقبل کے منصوبوں پر گفتگو pic.twitter.com/mtJgNN1OZ8

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 9, 2021

“As such, it is a matter of pride for the Pakistan fans, who look forward to welcoming Australia and England in 2022.”

The former cricketer added that England have got an impressive side and that it is mind-boggling to see the number of match-winners that the country has produced from the past five to seven years.

“They play very engaging and attractive cricket, which is fantastic for the fans and a big advertisement of the game,” he added.