The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has started its preparations for next month’s tour of Pakistan with the arrival of the ECB team in Rawalpindi and Lahore to check preparations ahead of the upcoming three-day ODI series in the country.
The visit is a routine inspection by the ECB team to check venues and other arrangements prior to England’s visit to Pakistan, sources said.
The recce team will hold a visit in Lahore where the officials will check the venues that have been selected for the series to be played soon. The team will first examine the facilities and arrangements at the place at Rawalpindi before going there.
In addition, sources say that the ECB delegation will meet with security agencies and local administration during its visit. Some security considerations are anticipated to be part of the talks ahead of the international series.
The inspection is part of the regular procedure conducted prior to the tour of an international team of officials, which will see and inspect venues, logistics, security and other operational arrangements.
England will be visiting Pakistan next month for a three-match ODI series. The tournament will start on October 18 and will run till October 31; both matches will be played at Rawalpindi and Lahore.
The preparations are further underway after the ECB recce team arrived, ahead of another big international cricket event that the country is to host in the near future.
It is the first visit to Pakistan by the top international squad this year, as the country is gearing up for a hectic international cricket season. The national team had to deal with a slow over-rate in the third and final Test against England in Birmingham and was met with sanctions as a consequence.
Time allowances were taken into account at Edgbaston Test and it was revealed that Pakistan bowled 11 overs less. This meant that the team was penalised and lost 50 per cent of its match fee as well as 11 World Test Championship points.
The points deduction also impacted Pakistan’s World Test Championship ranking, who are currently ninth. Pakistan will be back in Test action in November when they host Sri Lanka in a two-match series at Rawalpindi and Lahore.