England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on October 15 that they had been invited for a tour to Pakistan by PCB. In the official statement, ECB revealed that they are holding talks with PCB to organise a limited-overs bilateral series early in 2021.
Pakistan was the second team to tour in England during the covid pandemic era, so the goodwill between the two boards can help in organising a tour of Pakistan next year.
Since the terror attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in 2009, international teams have not toured for close to ten years. West Indies became the first team to tour Pakistan in 2018 for limited-overs series, while Sri Lanka also returned for a series in 2019. Zimbabwe is set to tour the Asian country in November 2020.
England last toured Pakistan in 2006/06, but the two sides have played bilateral series in the United Arab Emirates in the last decade. Pakistan had made UAE as their home base to play against international teams in bilateral test and limited-overs series.
Few English players are currently participating in the Indian Premier League, while others are playing domestic cricket. There is no bilateral series scheduled for England in 2020. If talks progress well with PCB, then the tour of Pakistan is likely to be England’s first series of the new calendar.