In November 2021, Tom Harrison, the Chief Executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), flew to Pakistan to repair the relationship between the ECB and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after England's planned tour to Pakistan in October 2021 was cancelled.[7] After positive talks, the original tour itinerary of five T20I matches was increased to seven.[8] The T20Is were scheduled to be played first,[9] with the Test matches taking place following the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia.[10] In April 2022, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the series would be taking place.[11][12] In July 2022, the PCB's Chairman Ramiz Raja said that the T20I matches would be likely to take place in Lahore and Karachi.[13] The details of the T20I series was confirmed on 2 August 2022.[14][15][16] The itinerary for the Test series was later announced on 22 August 2022.[17][18]
A total of 189,595 spectators watched the T20I leg of the series, at a 97.35% crowd attendance, making it the highest-attended series in Pakistan cricket history.[19]
On 16 December 2022, Pakistan's Azhar Ali announced that he would retire from Test cricket following the completion of the Test series.[20]
England won the Test series 3–0, to become the first team to claim a clean sweep in a three-match series in Pakistan.[21] This was also only the fourth time that England had taken a clean sweep in any away series of three Tests or more.[22]
The ECB announced that Jos Buttler would miss the opening matches of the T20I series due to a calf injury, with Moeen Ali standing in as captain.[27]Alex Hales was later added to the T20I squad.[28] On 30 September, Pakistan's Naseem Shah was ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series due to COVID-19 positive result, with playing the first match only.[29]
Rehan Ahmed was added to England's Test squad on 23 November.[30] England's Liam Livingstone was ruled out of last two tests after sustaining a right knee injury during the first Test.[31] On 5 December, Pakistan's Haris Rauf was ruled out of the remainder of the Test series, having sustained a quad injury in the first Test.[32]
Zak Crawley's century was the fastest Test century by an English opener in terms of balls (86).[40]
Four English players scored centuries on Day 1, the most centuries scored within the first day of a test.[41]
England scored 506 runs on Day 1, the most runs scored in the first day of a Test match.[41]
England's first innings score was made at 6.50 runs per over, the highest run rate for a score of 500 or more in Test cricket.[42]
The teams' combined 1,768 runs was the highest aggregate in a five-day Test match, surpassing the previous record of 1,764 during the Adelaide Test of the West Indies' tour of Australia from 24–29 January 1969.[43]
World Test Championship points: England 12, Pakistan 0.
