The Australian cricket team will next year tour Pakistan for the first time since 1998.
Cricket Australia confirmed that a seven-match series including three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I will take place in 2022, from March.
The three Tests will fall under the ICC World Test Championship category. Meanwhile, the ODIs will be part of the Cricket World Cup Super League.
Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley said the organising body would ensure that staff and player safety is appropriately managed.
“The safety and welfare of our players and staff remains our number one priority, and we will continue to work with the PCB and relevant agencies to ensure that appropriate and sufficient arrangements are put in place for the tour,” Hockley said in a statement.
https://twitter.com/CricketAus/status/1457623608855957505
Australia won both the Test and the ODI series when the two nations last played in Pakistan nearly 24 years ago.
Mark Taylor led Australia to a 1-0 victory in the last test series it played in Pakistan in 1998. Since then Pakistan has hosted Australia four times at neutral venues in Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier this year, both England and New Zealand opted out of their planned trips to Pakistan due to security concerns.
Ramiz Raja, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said the series would be a “special treat for the fans”.
“It pleases me no end that we’ll be engaged in a three-Test match series, connoisseurs delight,” Raja said in a statement.
“Australia are one of the high-performing sides and them playing in our backyard for the first time after a gap of 24 years will be a special treat for the fans.
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“Likewise, it will be a great opportunity for the Australia cricketers to not only play at our iconic venues but also feel and enjoy the respect, love and hospitality that this great country offers, something which most of their previous generation of cricketers missed out by playing offshore.”
Pakistan was off limits for hosting international cricket for almost a decade after the Sri Lanka team’s bus came under attack at Lahore in March 2009. Eight people were killed during the terror attack, and several Sri Lankan players were injured.
Pakistan also lost its status as a co-host for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Sri Lanka was the first team to return for a test series, in December 2019, and was followed by Bangladesh and South Africa. Other teams have toured for limited-overs series.
– with AP
Dates for the tour of Pakistan in 2022:
March 3-7: First Test, Karachi
March 12-16: Second Test, Rawalpindi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Lahore
March 31: Second ODI, Lahore
April 2: Third ODI, Lahore
April 5: Only T20, Lahore
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