Team England arrives Pakistan after 17 long years

The cricket team from England arrived in Karachi on Thursday for their first visit to Pakistan in 17 years, a lengthy gap caused by security concerns.

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England last played in Pakistan in 2005, and they were scheduled to return last year before abruptly cancelling after New Zealand also postponed a tour owing to safety concerns. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which is desperately trying to repair its security reputation, was outraged by the action and labelled it “disrespectful.”

Following a fatal 2009 attack by Islamist terrorists on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, Pakistan was compelled to host England for series in 2012 and 2015 at neutral sites like the UAE.

From September 20 to October 2, the 19-man England side, led by Jos Buttler, will compete against Pakistan in seven Twenty20 matches in Karachi and Lahore as preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia that will take place the following month.