Moeen Ali set to lead England T20I side in Jos Buttler's absence during first visit to Pakistan in 17 years

Moeen Ali is likely to lead the England T20I side in their first visit to Pakistan after 17 years with Jos Buttler, the full-time captain, struggling to be fit.

Star all-rounder Moeen Ali is set to lead the England national team in regular limited-overs captain Jos Buttler's absence on their first visit to Pakistan in 17 years for a seven-match T20I series. Notably, Buttler, England's limited-overs captain, was ruled out of the rest of the Hundred with a calf strain.

Buttler was captaining Manchester Originals, who are joint-third in the men's competition at this stage, and scored 203 runs in his five innings this season. He injured his calf while fielding, chasing the ball to the boundary, against Southern Brave.

In their first tour of Pakistan since 2005, England will play Pakistan in the seven-match T20I series from September 20 to October 2. The first six games will be held in Karachi and the seventh will take place in Lahore.

England will then return to Pakistan to play the Test series in December. The three matches will take place in Rawalpindi (1st Test), Multan (2nd Test) and Karachi (3rd Test) between December 1 to 21. The Test series will be part of the ICC World Test Championship. The last time England toured Pakistan, the Michael Vaughan-led side lost the three-match series 0-2.

"We are pleased that the Pakistan and England Test rivalry, which has historically produced close and tight matches, will return to our backyards in December," PCB Director Zakir Khan said.

"Both sides have evolved since they last played in Pakistan in 2005 and have recently been playing entertaining and exciting cricket. I remain confident this series will live up to the expectations of the global cricket fans who want to watch and enjoy competitive and thrilling matches."