Australia will play Pakistan in 2022, for the first time in 24 years

The Australian cricket team will play in Pakistan next year for the first time in 24 years, Pakistani sports authorities said on Monday, as England and New Zealand recently abandoned security concerns. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement that Australia will take part in several matches of various international formats in March and April.

«Watching Australia play with us for the first time in 24 years will be very special for our fans.”, confirms PCB President, Ramez Raja, in the press release. The announcement is significant for Pakistan, which was hit hard last September when the New Zealand cricket team boycotted a tour of the country citing threats to their security, before hastily departing.

England soon after canceled their planned tour of Pakistan, and Pakistan fears Australia will do the same. Pakistan, where cricket is the number one and emotion-packed sport, was for years denied international competition on its soil for six years after the 2009 bombing of the Sri Lankan cricket team. Lanka.

After that, the national team had to move its matches at home abroad, in particular to the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan has gradually hosted international matches again since 2015.