ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: Pakistan and England will make early starts to their first two Tests next month in Multan and Faisalabad to overcome weather-related problems.

The first two Tests will have a 9.30am (0430 GMT) start and end at 4.30pm, with a minimum of 83 overs to be bowled in the day. The third Test in Lahore will have a 10.00am start with 90 overs to be bowled, weather and light permitting.

England’s Test matches are scheduled from Nov 12, 20 and 29 at a time of the year when the winter season in central Punjab means sunset is early.

Customarily Tests and first-class matches are disrupted early in the day because of fog, and late due to bad light.

“We are keen to get in a minimum of 83 overs a day which is why we have opted for early starts in the first two games,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director of cricket operations, Saleem Altaf, said.

He said managing 83 overs could be a problem.

“We want result-oriented matches and it would be a shame if the tests are disrupted and overs lost due to weather conditions. But at this time of the year we can only hope for the best,” he said.

A Test match against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad in mid-December 1998 was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to thick fog.

England’s tour opener, a three-day game against the PCB Patron’s XI, will also start at 9.30am.—Reuters