England to tour Pakistan for the first time in 16 years for two T20Is

England have announced that they will be touring Pakistan for two T20 internationals in October 2021 in the build up to the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. The matches, which will be held at the National Stadium in Karachi, will be England's first in Pakistan in 16 years.

This announcement comes after the England Cricket Board had announced earlier this week that they would not be able to go through with their proposed tour to Pakistan in early 2021.

Now the tour has been postponed to October 2021, and will take place just before the ICC T20 World Cup, which is due to begin in India right after the series. England are scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on October 12, 2021 and the two T20Is are set to take place on October 14 and October 15.

England to tour Pakistan for a limited-overs series in the 2022-23 season

England v Australia - 3rd Royal London Series One Day International

The ECB said that England's decision to tour Pakistan is the outcome of the PCB's effort and hard work to ensure a safe return for cricket in the country. PCB chief Wasim Khan said that he expects Australia to visit Pakistan in early 2022, and England to return to the country for a full Test match and limited-overs series during the 2022-23 season.

Pakistan have had to play the majority of their games in the UAE after the country was considered unsafe for other cricketing nations to visit following the 2009 bus attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore. England are set to become the first big cricketing nation to visit Pakistan since 2009, and it will be their first tour to the country since 2005.

Both England and Pakistan will no doubt be hopeful that the COVID-19 pandemic is a thing of the past by then, and the rapturous and passionate Pakistani supporters can be allowed into the stadium to watch their team play international cricket against a major nation once again.