England bowler Stuart Broad is reportedly unlikely to be part of the historic Test series against Pakistan this winter.
England are set to travel to Pakistan for the first time in 17 years and will play seven T20Is in September and October ahead of the T20 World Cup before returning in December for three Test matches.
It will be their first away series against Pakistan since 2015 and the first time they have played Test cricket there since 2005 after a terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in 2009 which resulted in the death of six police officers and two civilians saw teams refuse to tour there due to security concerns.
However, according to the Evening Standard, Broad is likely to miss the tour which will see England play three Test matches in Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi. His fiancee, former Saturdays singer and BBC Radio 1 presenter Mollie King, is due to give birth to the couple's first child towards the end of the year.
As a result, the report states that Broad 'seems set to miss this winter's tour', having never played there in his 15-year international career. And his potential absence from the tour would mean Broad will have to wait over five months for another opportunity to represent England once the ongoing series against South Africa is concluded next month.
Due to the T20 World Cup, the three games against Pakistan are England's only Tests until a two-match series against New Zealand in late February. And Broad will be hoping to finish the South Africa series strongly after admitting he was too "tentative" in the first Test at Lord's which England lost by an innings and 12 runs.
In a column for the Daily Mail, Broad wrote: "Personally, maybe I was a bit tentative, questioning my rhythm and how my action was, instead of focusing on being really competitive. Perhaps I didn't have that attitude of 'I'm coming for you, batter,' that people associate with me.
"Perhaps I erred on the side of caution because I wasn't going into the Test match-hardened. We had not played for six weeks and you only have to be slightly off in your competitive spirit for it to show at international level.
"So what am I going to do when I get to Old Trafford? I'm going to be ultra-competitive. I've had my spell now, bowled 20 overs in a game, had a bat, took a catch. Now I'm coming to hit the arena hard."
