Pakistan board moots four-Test plan

The Pakistan board is trying to get England to play four Tests when they tour Pakistan in November this year. PCB officials have made attempts to convince their English counterparts to review the proposed schedule and increase the number of Tests from three to four, while reducing the number of ODIs from five to three.

Subhan Ahmed, the general manager for Cricket Operations in Pakistan, told Dawn: "The PCB will soon be sending a request to the ECB asking them to review the proposed itinerary and play four Tests and three one-day internationals."

Subhan said the PCB believed that the players needed to play more Test matches, and strike a fine balance between five-day and one-day cricket. "We are keen for England to play four Tests and three one-dayers," Subhan continued, "as we feel Pakistan has not been playing enough Test matches as compared to other countries in recent years."

Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the PCB, attributed Pakistan's crushing defeat in the recent Test series against Australia to the paucity of Tests played by the Pakistan side. Pakistan has not played a series of more than three Tests since 1992, when they toured England for a five-Test series and triumphed 2-1.