September 9, 2024

PCB Confirms Multan and Rawalpindi as Venues for England Tests

The ECB has approved Pakistan’s three-Test series against England in October to be held in Pakistan. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed this after inspecting the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. He stated that the matches will be played in Multan and Rawalpindi. Naqvi’s spokesperson, Mohammad Rafiullah, also confirmed to thewicketinsider that the ECB is satisfied with these venues.

Renovations at several cricket stadiums in Pakistan have created challenges for hosting England’s three-match series. Karachi was initially set to host the second Test, but the National Stadium’s renovations have made this impossible. Additionally, a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Islamabad from October 15-16 means Rawalpindi cannot host the match either due to security and accommodation issues.

As a result, the PCB considered moving one Test out of Pakistan, with Abu Dhabi being the top alternative. Pakistan last played there in 2018 before returning to host home Tests in Pakistan. However, Dubai and Sharjah are unavailable due to the Women’s T20 World Cup being held in the UAE.

Although Naqvi’s comments suggest that all three Tests in the series will take place in Pakistan, the PCB has not officially confirmed the venues yet. The board still needs to finalize the locations for each Test match.

There is significant pressure to make these decisions quickly. Many England fans are expected to attend the series, and logistical planning cannot proceed until the venues are confirmed. England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, also emphasized the importance of knowing the venues in advance to select a squad suited to the conditions.

England is set to arrive in Pakistan on October 2, with the first Test scheduled to begin on October 7.

‘Felt the time was right’ – Moeen Ali Retires from International Cricket

He explained that the decision was made after he was not selected for England’s upcoming white-ball series against Australia.

“I’m 37 years old and didn’t get picked for this month’s Australia series,” Moeen said in a Daily Mail interview. “I’ve played a lot of cricket for England. It’s time for the next generation, which was also explained to me. It felt the time was right. I’ve done my part.”

Since making his international debut in 2014, Moeen played 68 Tests, 138 ODIs, and 92 T20Is as an all-rounder. He scored 6,678 runs, including eight centuries and 28 fifties, and took 366 wickets for England across all formats. His final international appearance was in England’s semi-final loss to India at the T20 World Cup in Guyana.

“I’m very proud. When you first play for England, you don’t know how many games you’re going to play. So to play nearly 300…My first few years were all about Test cricket. Once Morgs [Eoin Morgan] took over the one-day stuff, that was more fun. But Test cricket was the proper cricket.”

“Even now, I’ve tried to be realistic. I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won’t. Even retiring, I don’t feel it’s because I’m not good enough – I still feel I can play. But I get how things are, and the team needs to evolve into another cycle. It’s about being real to myself.”

“People forget the impact you make in games. It might only have been 20 or 30, but it was a crucial 20 or 30. For me, it was about making an impact. I know what I brought to the side, on and off the field. As long as I felt people enjoyed watching me play, whether or not I did well, I was happy with that.”

Moeen’s Future in Franchise Cricket and Coaching Aspirations

Moeen will continue playing franchise cricket, and hopes to be involved in coaching moving forward.

“A bit of franchise cricket, because I still love playing. But coaching is something I want to do – I want to be one of the best. I can learn a lot from Baz [Brendon McCullum]. I hope people remember me as a free spirit. I played some nice shots and some bad shots, but hopefully people enjoyed watching me.”

Moeen is set to make his debut in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) this season, joining the Guyana Amazon Warriors as a replacement player for the defending champions. Over the past year, he has also played franchise cricket for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Joburg Super Kings in SA20, and Comilla Victorians in the BPL.

On his greatest moment, he said: “Winning the Ashes and two World Cups was great, but from an individual point of view it was my Test hat-trick against South Africa at the Oval to win us the game. And I’m proud to have the fastest T20 50 for England [16 balls vs South Africa in 2022].”