Cricket Australia on Friday confirmed that the men's team will tour Pakistan for the first time in more than two decades. The 2022 tour will comprise three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I. (More Cricket News)
"It is the first time since 1998 that the national men’s squad will tour Pakistan. CA thanks the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Pakistan and Australian Governments for their support in facilitating this series," CA said in a statement.
International cricket is making a return to Pakistan slowly after the terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team outside the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore in 2009 on Day 3 of the second Test. Interestingly, Sri Lanka became the first team to play a Test match in Pakistan after that deadly attack.
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On September 10 last year, New Zealand sensationally canceled the Pakistan tour minutes before the toss of the first ODI in Rawalpindi citing security threat. The Kiwis were three ODIs and five T20Is.
Hours after New Zealand's pull out, England issued a statement, saying that they will assess the ground situation before making a decision. England subsequently cancelled their tour ten days later.
The statement also said that "there have been some changes to the original schedule and the fixtures for the three-Test series, three one-day internationals and one T20 match".
Australian cricket team is expected to land in Islamabad on February 27 and play first Test from March 4 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, where all three ODIs and the only T20I will be played. The second and third Tests will be played in Karachi and Lahore.
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Australia last played a Test (3rd match of the series) in Pakistan at the National Stadium, Karachi in October 1998. The match ended in a draw. Australia's last cricket match was an ODI at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on November 10, 1998.
But Pakistan last hosted Australia in October 2018 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
Australia's tour of Pakistan 2022 full schedule
March 4-8: 1st Test at Rawalpindi;
March 12-16: 2nd Test at Karachi;
March 21-25: 3rd Test at Lahore;
March 29: 1st ODI at Rawalpindi;
March 31: 2nd ODI at Rawalpindi;
April 2: 3rd ODI at Rawalpindi;
April 5: T20I at Rawalpindi.
