West Indies tour of Pakistan likely to be postponed to 2024 amid concerns over player availability - Reports

West Indies' tour of Pakistan comprising three T20Is initially scheduled for January 2023 is likely to be postponed to 2024. With a hoard of franchise T20 leagues, namely - the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20) and the SA20 along with the pre-existing Big Bash League (BBL) and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) all scheduled for early 2023.

According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) are willing to reschedule the tour for 2024. Several West Indies players have already partaken in the auction and drafts set in place for the overseas T20 leagues and roped in by franchises.

However, Pakistani players did not receive a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to register their names for the BBL, SA20, and ILT20. Their absence from the inaugural SA20 was primarily down to a conflict with the international schedule, but also due to the fact that all six franchises have Indian-based ownership.

The short series against West Indies was slotted in between New Zealand's first visit to Pakistan in 2023 and the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

With the Windies already scheduled to tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series as part of World Test Championship's next cycle (2023-25), the teams are likely to play the three pending T20Is from the 2023 schedule as well.

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West Indies have toured Pakistan twice in the last 10 months

Windies were scheduled to tour Pakistan for three ODIs and three T20Is in December 2021. However, the white-ball campaign was split into two legs following a COVID-19 outbreak.

Nicholas Pooran's side toured Pakistan again in June 2022 to complete the three-match ODI series as part of the ODI World Cup Super League. They failed to register a single win over the course of their two visits to the country after losing both series by a 3-0 margin.

The two-time T20 World Cup champions last defeated Pakistan in the shortest format back in 2017. Since then, the Men in Green have racked up eight consecutive wins against the Windies.

Will the Men in Maroon be an assembled side by the time they tour Pakistan in 2024? Let us know what you think.