Pakistan reach England for 3-Test series

LAHORE - The Babar Azam-led Pakistan Test squad reached England on Saturday morning to begin preparations for a challenging three-match Test series, which will form part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the national team will take a brief break following its arrival before beginning formal training at the County Ground in Beckenham on Monday, August 10. As part of their preparations for the demanding series, Pakistan will also feature in a four-day practice match against a Select XI from August 12 to 15. The game is expected to provide the touring players with valuable match practice and an opportunity to acclimatise to English conditions before the Test series gets underway. The first Test will begin on August 19 at Headingley in Leeds and continue until August 23. Pakistan will then travel to London for the second Test at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground from August 27 to 31. The three-match series will conclude at Edgbaston in Birmingham, where the third Test is scheduled to be played from September 9 to 13.

The tour marks Pakistan’s first Test series in England since 2020 and represents a significant challenge for the visitors, particularly given the traditionally demanding English conditions and the importance of every WTC point. Pakistan head into the assignment with renewed confidence after drawing their recent two-Test series against the West Indies 1-1. The result also included a notable breakthrough for the Green Shirts, who secured their first away Test victory since July 2023.

With the WTC campaign gathering momentum, Pakistan will be aiming to build on that encouraging result and produce a strong showing in England. The squad’s early arrival and scheduled practice match are designed to give the players sufficient time to adjust to the conditions, build rhythm and fine-tune their preparations before the first Test at Headingley.

PAKISTAN SQUAD: Babar Azam (c), Aamir Jamal, Ali Usman, Abdullah Shafique, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel* (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.

SERIES SCHEDULE

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