Pakistan's itinerary for England tour released

Karachi, Nov 27: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have officially released the itineraries of next summer's home internationals against Pakistan and Australia.

Pakistan, who last toured England in 1996, have been allocated two Tests and five other first-class matches while Australia play the major series, involving five Ashes Tests and seven fixtures against the counties, the MCC and Ireland, according to the ECB schedule recently published in the British media.

A 10-match One-day International triangular tournament is sandwiched between the two Test rubbers.

Pakistan will start their tour of England with a three-day tie against British Universities at Trent Bridge on May 4, just 19 days after the commencement of the domestic season in that country.

The first Test is scheduled for Lord's on May 21 and the second and the final Test at Old Trafford from May 31.

For the first time, the Pakistanis will experience playing a Test in the cold and damp weather of May which will only cheer up the seamers.

The PCB may intervene and request their English counterparts to arrange a couple of one-day matches because Pakistan's itinerary features no such fixture before the start of the tri-series.

But such is the demanding nature of the schedule, it will be extremely difficult for the ECB to let Pakistan at least a one-day warm-up match before the tourists kick off the triangular series with a day-night game against hosts England at Edgbaston, three days after conclusion of the second Test.

In that sense, the Australians are somewhat lucky to have a warm-up limited-overs fixture against Middlesex at Lord's four days before they make their first appearance in the tri-series, against Pakistan at Cardiff on June 9.

England, Australia and Pakistan will play each other thrice before the top two sides head for Lord's for the final on June 23.

The Australians will begin their tour with the now traditional threeday clash against Worcestershire at Worcester from June 1.

Of course, the showpiece of next English season is the Ashes rubber between the two oldest Test-playing countries. Not since 1977, England and Australia will be involved in a series of five Tests. On the subsequent tours of England in 1981, 1985, 1989, 1993 and 1997, Australia have participated in the rather elongated six-match Test rubber.

Australia, who are certain to be led by Steve Waugh, will start the defence of the Ashes - which they have kept Down Under since 1989 - at Edgbaston on July 5.

The remaining Tests are scheduled for Lord's (July 19-23), Trent Bridge (Aug 2-6), Headingley (Aug 16-20), and The Oval (Aug 23-27).

The Englishmen may feel the heat towards the culmination of the international season because for the first time the British crowd will be witnessing back-to-back Tests in their country at the end of the Ashes series.

May 4-6: v British Universities (Trent Bridge).

May 8-10: v Derbyshire (Derby).

May 12-14: v Kent (Canterbury).

May 17-21: FIRST TEST (Lord's).

May 23: v Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire or Yorkshire (Trent Bridge , Leicester, Derby or Headingley).

May 24-27: v Leicestershire (Leicester, three or four days)

May 31-June 4: SECOND TEST (Old Trafford).

Tri-series:

June 7: England v Pakistan (Edgbaston, D/N).

June 9: Australia v Pakistan (Cardiff).

June 10: England v Australia (Bristol).

June 12: England v Pakistan (Lord's).

June 14: England v Australia (Old Trafford, D/N).

June 16: Australia v Pakistan (Chester-le-Street).

June 17: England v Pakistan (Headingley).

June 19: Australia v Pakistan (Trent Bridge, D/N).

June 21: England v Australia (The Oval).

June 23: Final (Lord's).

Australian itinerary:

June 1-3: v Worcestershire (Worcester).

June 5: v Middlesex (Lord's).

June 25-27: v MCC (Arundel).

June 29-July 1: v Essex (Chelmsford).

July 5-9: FIRST TEST (Edgbaston).

July 13-16: v Somerset, Glamorgan or Gloucestershire (Taunton, Cardiff or Bristol).

July 19-23: SECOND TEST (Lord's).

July 28-30: v Hampshire (Southampton).

Aug 2-6: THIRD TEST (Trent Bridge).

Aug 8-10: v Sussex (Hove).

Aug 12-14: v Ireland (Belfast).

Aug 16-20: FOURTH TEST (Headingley).

Aug 23-27: FIFTH TEST (The Oval).