England are set to host a bumper international summer in 2021 – followed by a similarly packed winter that includes a first trip to Pakistan in 16 years – under proposed schedules released on Wednesday.
While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to bring uncertainty to the sport, the England and Wales Cricket has ploughed on with plans for a home season with supporters in attendance. It could feature up to seven men’s Tests, 12 white-ball fixtures and series against South Africa and New Zealand for the women’s team.
The men’s Test team will play a five-match series against India in August and September and could also see two additional fixtures against an as-yet unnamed opponent in June – believed to be New Zealand – should they not be part of the inaugural World Test Championship final that month.
Eoin Morgan’s white-ball side meanwhile is due to face Sri Lanka in three ODIs and Pakistan for three ODIs and three Twenty20s but there are talks underway with the former about an additional T20 series on top of this.
After a summer spent behind closed doors in 2020, next year’s bloated fixture list – one that also sees the launch of the Hundred – sees a return to venues around the country. Tickets for the men’s internationals are set to go on sale, with a refund policy in place should crowds once again not be possible.
It is then followed by a winter that will see England travel to five destinations, with the ECB confirming on Wednesday the men’s white-ball side will travel to Pakistan for two Twenty20 internationals on 14 and 15 October.
This short trip – a payback of sorts for Pakistan touring the UK in 2020 – follows a white-ball tour to Bangladesh and precedes the T20 World Cup in India. The Test team will then travel to Australia for the Ashes series either side of Christmas, before a full tour of the Caribbean in 2022.
Security concerns have meant that no team from England has travelled to Pakistan since late 2005 bar a visit by MCC earlier this year. But with the country now playing host to international cricket in recent times – as well as the Pakistan Super League – these have now abated.
The trip sits outside of the Future Tours Programme but is payback of sorts after Pakistan were one of four boards to send teams to the UK during the recent pandemic-afflicted summer. Wasim Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive, hopes it will “open the door” for a fuller tour the following winter.
He said: “The ECB’s confirmation further endorses Pakistan as safe and secure. Importantly, this announcement speaks volumes for the relationship that we have with the ECB and I would like to thank the ECB for their strong will and desire to make this short tour a reality.”
England Men’s Royal London Series against Sri Lanka
Tue 29 June England v Sri Lanka 1st ODI Emirates Riverside, Durham
Thu 1 July England v Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Kia Oval
Sun 4 July England v Sri Lanka 3rd ODI Bristol County Ground
England Men’s Series against Pakistan
Pakistan are set to return to England for two series after they played matches behind closed doors in England this summer.
Royal London Series
Thu 8 July England v Pakistan 1st ODI Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Sat 10 July England v Pakistan 2nd ODI Lord’s
Tue 13 July England v Pakistan 3rd ODI Edgbaston
Vitality IT20 Series
Fri 16 July England v Pakistan 1st IT20 Trent Bridge
Sun 18 July England v Pakistan 2nd IT20 Emerald Headingley
Tue 20 July England v Pakistan 3rd IT20 Emirates Old Trafford
England Men’s Test Series against India
Wed 4-8 Aug England v India 1st Test Match Trent Bridge
Thu 12-16 Aug England v India 2nd Test Match Lord’s
Wed 25-29 Aug England v India 3rd Test Match Emerald Headingley
Thu 2-6 Sept England v India 4th Test Match Kia Oval
Fri 10-14 Sept England v India 5th Test Match Emirates Old Trafford
Meanwhile, England have been granted automatic qualification as hosts for the women’s cricket competition at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The six other highest-ranked T20 countries as of 1 April, 2021 will also qualify directly for the eight-team tournament, with the remaining place being allocated to the winner of a qualifier. Women’s cricket is set to make a historic first appearance at the Games, which are scheduled to take place between 28 July and 8 August, 2022.