England to play Pakistan in UAE

LONDON: England will play Pakistan in Test, one-day international and Twenty20 fixtures in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of their 2011/12 tour programme, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced Wednesday.

England and Pakistan are due to play three Tests, four one-day internationals and three Twenty20s in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The tour adds to a programme that will also see England travelling to 50-over world champions India for five ODIs and a Twenty20 in October, before a two-Test series away to Sri Lanka in March-April.

Pakistan have not played a major international match in their own country since Sri Lanka's team bus was attacked by armed militants in Lahore in March 2009.

The India series concludes at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, one of world cricket's most iconic venues but also one where England were denied the chance to play India during the World Cup after the International Cricket Council deemed refurbishment work had not been completed in time.

"We are very pleased to have agreed an itinerary with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) for the forthcoming one-day Series which includes matches in India's major cities and will suit the needs of both the England team and our travelling supporters," said ECB chief executive David Collier.

"With India due to play a NatWest (one-day) Series here in September, there is bound to be intense interest in the return contest in India this October and we look forward to what should be a fascinating series of one-day encounters between the two teams.

"The remainder of the winter programme will see England travel to UAE early in the New Year to play Pakistan in all three formats of the game followed by a short break in the UK before the team takes on Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series," he added.

The three Twenty20 matches in Pakistan, an unusually high number for one tour, will help England prepare for the defence of their World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka next year.

It is in Sri Lanka where England will round off their tour programme, with the ECB adding England will return to the island nation for an ODI series in Novenmber or early December 2014.

In total, England will play five Tests, nine ODIS and four Twenty20s in just over five months -- a much less packed schedule than their most recent tour programme which saw an Ashes series in Australia followed by the World Cup.

England's 2011/12 tour schedule:

England tour of India

Oct 04: England arrive in Hyderabad

Oct 08: 50-over warm-up match, Hyderabad (Gymkhana)

Oct 11: 50-over warm-up match, Hyderabad (Gymkhana)

Oct 14: 1ST ODI v INDIA (D/N), Hyderabad (RGI Stadium, Uppal)

Oct 17: 2ND ODI v INDIA (D/N), Delhi (Ferozeshah Kotla)

Oct 20: 3RD ODI v INDIA (D/N), Mohali (PCA Stadium)

Oct 23: 4TH ODI v INDIA (D/N), Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium)

Oct 26: 5TH ODI v INDIA (D/N), Kolkata (Eden Gardens)

Oct 29: T20 v INDIA (D/N), Kolkata (Eden Gardens)

England v Pakistan, UAE

ECB and PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) have agreed the tour will comprise three Tests, four ODIs and three T20s to be played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

A detailed itinerary will be announced in due course.

England tour of Sri Lanka

Mar 26-30: 1ST TEST v SRI LANKA, Galle

Apr 03-07: 2ND TEST v SRI LANKA, Colombo (venue tbc)

The programme of warm-up matches leading into the Tests will be confirmed in due course.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011