The Pakistan Cricket Board is preparing to send its secondary national squad, the Pakistan Shaheens, on a tour to England later this year, kicking off with a training session in Karachi from July 10.
Although the board has yet to provide detailed information about the number or type of matches slated for the tour, it noted that a finalized list of selected players will be made public soon.
This update was shared in conjunction with the announcement of a broader skills enhancement initiative beginning June 16 at Lahore’s National Cricket Academy.
The Karachi-based camp for the Shaheens is being positioned as a stepping stone for their overseas campaign.
This marks the team’s first significant international appearance since last August, when they took part in the Top End T20 Series in Australia.
That competition saw the Shaheens go up against prominent opponents including Melbourne Renegades, Adelaide Strikers, and a Bangladesh development squad.
More recently, earlier this year, the Shaheens featured in a trio of preparatory matches arranged by the PCB as part of the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Taking place in February, the side played against Afghanistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh with three different lineups fielded.
On February 14 in Lahore, they registered a dominating win over Afghanistan by a 144-run margin.
Days later, two simultaneous fixtures yielded contrasting outcomes: one squad defeated Bangladesh convincingly in Karachi, while another narrowly lost to South Africa in Dubai. South Africa later progressed to the tournament semi-finals.
As of now, the PCB has not outlined who will be part of the coaching panel for the England tour, nor has it disclosed the full travel plan.
However, insiders indicate that the tour is designed to give rising players valuable international exposure and experience.
Often viewed as a developmental platform, the Shaheens squad plays a key role in nurturing upcoming cricketers. This upcoming tour is likely to reinforce the PCB’s strategy of building depth beyond the primary national team, particularly with an eye toward future international competitions.
