It has been an incredible few months for Pakistan cricket and the next year brings the possibility of more memorable moments.
At one point, it seemed 2021 was going to turn into a nightmare after New Zealand and then England pulled out of their scheduled tours of the country at the last moment. Their preparations for the T20 World Cup in the UAE had supposedly received a body blow.
However, Pakistan turned adversity into an opportunity, taking the T20 World Cup by storm as they defeated India for the first time in a World Cup. Five straight wins took them to the semi-finals, where an extraordinary knock right at the end from Australia's Matthew Wade denied them a ticket to the final.
Still, it marked the high-point of a phenomenal year that also had a historic T20 series sweep in Bangladesh. Star batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan continued their record-breaking run in the shortest format - Rizwan topped the charts with more than 1,000 runs in the calendar year and Babar right behind in second.
Next year, T20 will be the flavour of the season as well as it will be Australia's turn to host the tournament they couldn't in 2020 due to the pandemic.
There will be other reasons for Pakistan to be hopeful. Australia have agreed to tour the country for the first time since 1998, while England are scheduled to visit twice.
Pakistan cricket schedule 2022
January-February
Pakistan Super League
March
Home series against Australia
March 3, 2022: First Test, National Stadium, Karachi
March 12: Second Test, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
March 21: Third Test, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Lahore
March 31: Second ODI, Lahore
April 2: Third ODI, Lahore
April 4: One-off T20, Lahore
July-August
Away series against Sri Lanka
Two Tests, three ODIs
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Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan scored an unbeaten fifty in a 10-wicket win over India at the T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, October 24, 2021. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Pakistan' captain Babar Azam also scored an unbeaten fifty in a thumping win over India in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi rocked India's batting with the new ball on Sunday. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi celebrates the wicket of India's KL Rahul. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
India captain Virat Kohli held the innings together with a fifty. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Pakistan's Hasan Ali celebrates Ravindra Jadeja's wicket. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
India's Virat Kohli is caught behind off the bowling of Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Pakistan celebrate the wicket of India's Suryakumar Yadav. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Pakistan fans before the match at the Dubai International Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Pakistan and India fans at the Dubai International Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National
September
T20 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka
September/October
Home series against England
Seven T20s
October 16-November 13
T20 World Cup in Australia
November
Home series against New Zealand
Two Tests and three ODIs
November-December
Home series against England
Three Tests
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A policeman stands guard on the empty stands of the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, September 17, 2021. New Zealand abandoned the tour of Pakistan over security concerns. AFP -
Ground staff remove wickets at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium after New Zealand pulled out of the Pakistan tour on Friday. AP -
New Zealand abandoned the Pakistan tour minutes before the first ODI in Rawalpindi. AFP -
Pakistani policemen walk on the stands of the empty Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday. AFP -
A policeman stands guard at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium after New Zealand abandoned the Pakistan tour. AFP -
A Pakistani police officer stands guard at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. AP -
Pakistan's army and police officers at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. AP -
A Pakistani police officer at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. AP
