The schedule for England’s first Test tour of Pakistan for 17 years has been confirmed for December, but Stuart Broad appears unlikely to make the trip.
England have not played in Pakistan since 2005 due to security concerns, but will return in September for a seven-match T20 tour (in Karachi and Lahore), and then for three Tests in December.
They will play Tests in Rawalpindi (December 1-5), Multan (9-13) and Karachi (17-21). They will warm up for the tour with a match against England Lions at the end of a camp in Abu Dhabi.
England have played their past two away series against Pakistan (in 2012 and 2015) in the United Arab Emirates as Pakistan became cricketing nomads following the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009. The gunfire resulted in the death of two civilians and six policemen.
Cricket has steadily been returning to Pakistan, with Australia visiting earlier this year. But last year, England pulled out of the T20 element of the tour (which was rescheduled to this year), with the fuzzy excuse of the “mental and physical wellbeing” of their players, to the fury of Pakistan’s authorities.
Broad seems set to miss this winter’s tour with his fiancee, the radio host and pop star Mollie King, due to give birth to their first child towards the end of the year.
How many of the three Tests Broad would have played is debatable, given it is likely that England will be looking for bowlers of high pace, reverse-swing and spin in placid batting conditions.
Broad, 36, has not toured Pakistan in his 15-year, but coincidentally his father, Chris, was on the bus in 2009 in his role as an ICC Match Referee.
The series in Pakistan is the centrepiece of a hectic winter that has England playing in five countries, including a T20 World Cup in Australia this autumn.
The only other Test series is in New Zealand in February, but it is not part of the World Test Championship. England play just five Tests this winter, making it their quietest red-ball winter since 2014-15.
England reassemble in Manchester tomorrow ahead of Thursday’s Second Test against South Africa.
After beginning a new era under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum with four thrilling wins over New Zealand and India earlier in the summer, England were routed by an innings in effectively six sessions in the series opener against South Africa at Lord’s last week.
Struggling opener Zak Crawley received a strong vote of confidence from coach McCullum in the aftermath of the defeat after he extended his run of Tests without a half-century to seven.
The main selection debate will be over whether England bring back Ollie Robinson for his first Test this summer.
