England may play Twenty20 in Pakistan

The Faisalabad Wolves: Twenty20's first Pakistani champions © Getty Images

England's tour of Pakistan this winter could include a Twenty20 international, following the resounding success of Pakistan's recently completed domestic competition. The final on Saturday night, between Faisalabad Wolves and Karachi Dolphins, was watched by a crowd of 30,000, and the Pakistan Cricket Board is licking its lips at the prospect of a similar turnout when England visit.

According to a report in The Pakistan Times, the England & Wales Cricket Board had been keen to include a fixture, but the chairman of the PCB, Shaharyar Khan, was not originally a fan of the concept, hence its omission from England's proposed itinerary, which was unveiled last week.

"Shaharyar, who is a diehard supporter of Test cricket, rejected the proposal and said it was not possible for Pakistan to host a international Twenty20 match in the coming series," a source in the PCB told the newspaper. All that has now changed, however, and it seems likely that Shaharyar will be asked to reconsider.

An ECB spokesman told Cricinfo that nothing had been set in stone as yet, and that any such decision would depend on a number of factors, including the amount of games proposed, the timing of these matches, and whether there would be an obligation to host a return fixture.

Pakistan's Twenty20 tournament -- shown live on the Dubai-based channel Ten Sports and PTV --proved to be a major boost for Pakistan's ailing domestic cricket structure and Shaharyar has already announced that the competition would make become a regular feature in the domestic calendar.