NEWSThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to use only two or three major venues for the seven-match T20 International (T20I) series against England, which is scheduled just before the World Cup in Australia.
According to a source in the board, initially, the PCB wanted to hold the matches at more venues, including smaller international ones like Faisalabad, Multan but have now dropped the plan.
He confirmed that a tentative draft of venues and dates had been sent to the English cricket board and that the PCB is expecting a visit by the ECB delegation sometime in July-August. The tentative dates are between September 15 and October 2.
"Karachi and Lahore are the two main venues for the series and Rawalpindi has been added as a back-up as well. But with England coming to Pakistan after 17 long years the conclusion is that there will be big crowds even in Karachi and Lahore for the matches."
Apparently, the PCB has also made up its mind to host the three-match Test match series against England after the T20 World cup in November at smaller venues like Multan and Faisalabad.
"During the available time the smaller venues will be prepared for the test matches," the source said.
PCB planning annual three-nation T20 series
The PCB is working on a project to host an annual three-nation T20 series with Australia and England in the new Future Tours Program of the ICC which runs from 2023 to 2027. According to a reliable source aware of the developments, PCB chairman Rameez Raja is expected to put forward the proposed plan at the ICC meetings scheduled to be held in Birmingham during the Commonwealth Games.
"The board is working on the plan and it is an alternative to the four-nation annual event which was proposed by Rameez at the last ICC meeting and which didn't get the required support from other members and has been shelved," the source said.
He said given the existing political and diplomatic relations between Pakistan and India and the lukewarm response of the Indian Cricket Board to the four-nation proposal, the PCB has now dropped India from their new plan and just included Australia and England.
"The logistics and ways to find a short window for the tri-series will be worked out soon and Rameez feels it can be done on an annual basis."
The source said that Ramiz might also use any request from the Indian board to expand the window for its IPL at the ICC meeting to also successfully sell his tri-series proposal. "Rameez has good personal relations with BCCI chief Saurav Ganguly and other board heads and he is quietly confident the tri-series plan can be executed by next year."
The source said Rameez had pushed the idea with the top officials of the ECB and Cricket Australia when they were in Pakistan and the response was positive.
"Rameez firmly believes that bilateral series don't appear to have a very bright future in the new FTP."
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