PCB announces schedule for Australia's Test tour

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced the schedule for the Test series against Australia, set to be played by the end of this year on home soil. 

The statement released by the cricket body said that the first two Tests of the series will be played in December 2023 while the third Test will be held in January 2024.

"Pakistan will make a trip Down Under later in the year to take on Australia for the Benaud-Qadir Trophy. The three Tests — part of the third World Test Championship cycle — will be played at Perth, Melbourne and Sydney in December and January," a statement released by Cricket Australia read.

The last time Pakistan and Australia came face to face in red-ball cricket was last year in March when the latter won the three-match away series.

"This will be Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s third Test tour of Australia. The prolific stroke-maker previously landed on Australian soil in December 2016, under Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy, and in November 2019, when Azhar Ali was the captain of the side," the PCB said in a press release.

"The right-hander has 278 runs — including a century — in five Tests. During the 2019 tour, Babar scored a century in the second innings in the first Test in Brisbane and followed it up with a 97 at Adelaide," it added.

Schedule of Pakistan tour of Australia

December 14-18: First Test, Perth Stadium

December 26-30: Second Test, MCG

January 3-7: Third Test, SCG

Apart from Pakistan, Australia will also host West Indies and South Africa during the home season with both men's and women's teams in action.