• ECB chief executive travels to Pakistan to reschedule men’s matches next year
• UK controversially withdrew men’s and women’s teams from series in September

LAHORE: England will play two extra Twenty20s in Pakistan next year as part of compensation for cancelling a short tour of the country scheduled last month as the heads of the two countries’ cricket boards met here on Tuesday.

The seven-match T20 series between Pakistan and England is expected to be played before the T20 World Cup in Australia in October next year, after which England will return in November-December for their first Test series in Pakistan since 2005.

The relationship between the two boards had soured after England controversially withdrew their men’s and women’s teams from T20 series in September, citing “growing dangers in travelling to this region”. England, who were due to play men’s matches on October 13 and 14, also cited worries over players’ mental and physical health in Covid bubbles as reasons for the withdrawal.

The decision was widely panned, especially as Pakistan were the first team to go to England last year during the pandemic and spent months in a bubble and it came a week after New Zealand abandoned a tour of Pakistan minutes before the first One-day International in Rawalpindi, citing a security alert.

In a bid to restore ties, English Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tom Harrison flew in to Lahore on Tuesday morning to hold a meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja and they agreed to reschedule the men’s matches.

“England will play two additional men’s Twenty20 internationals to the five T20Is (seven in all) originally planned when they will tour Pakistan in September-October 2022,” said a PCB press release issued on Tuesday night.

Under the Future Tours Programme, England were already due to tour Pakistan, first for five T20s and then for three Tests in November-December 2022.

Mr Harrison said he travelled to Pakistan to solve the matter. “Myself and ECB’s senior director Martin Darlow visited Lahore to talk face-to-face with the PCB around some of the things that have happened over the past few weeks, leading to the cancellation of our tour in October,” he was quoted as saying in the PCB news 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. We will then return after the ICC men’s T20 World Cup in Australia to complete the Test match element of that tour. This is just to reaffirm our commitment to Pakistan cricket to getting England teams, men’s and women’s teams, eventually playing in Pakistan at home,” he added.

Tom Harrison’s visit to Pakistan came a day after the PCB announced that Australia were coming for a full tour in March-April after a lapse of 24 years. He made the short day-trip en route to the ICC chief executives meeting in the United Arab Emirates next week.

“The ECB have shown their large heartedness to be here for which I am thankful to Tom and Martin,” Ramiz Raja was quoted as saying. “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 2022. We put in a lot of efforts to make sure that all visiting teams are comfortable in Pakistan. As such, it is a matter of pride for the Pakistan fans who look forward to welcoming Australia and England in 2022.

“England have got a great team and it’s mind-boggling how they’ve produced so many match-winners in a span of about 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.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2021