Pakistan begin training as Rawalpindi prepares for first England Test in 17 years

Home team will be without fast bowler Shahen Afridi for three-match series that starts on December 1

After the seemingly non-stop hustle and bustle of T20 cricket following two World Cups within 12 months, it's time for a breather in the form of a three-match Test series in the subcontinent.

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England are all set to play a Test series in Pakistan 17 years after last touring the country in 2005, marking another major milestone for the sport in Pakistan as it returns to a prominent position in international cricket's calendar.

The tour is a continuation of England's visit before the T20 World Cup in the form of a seven-match T20 series - which England won. Jos Buttler's team then went on to beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Pakistan will therefore have a point to prove when the first Test begins in Rawalpindi on December 1. Multan will host the second Test from December 9 before Karachi hosts the final match from December 17.

However, strike bowler Shaheen Afridi will miss the three-match Test series. Also missing is out-of-form leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who has taken 45 England wickets in nine Tests since his debut in 2014.

Afridi, 22, aggravated a knee injury during the final of the T20 World Cup. He also had his appendix removed later - a surgery that usually needs at least three weeks of recovery.

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Ben Stokes and Liam Livingstone of England celebrate victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 13, 2022. Getty

Updated: November 26, 2022, 2:30 PM