Pakistan begin training as Rawalpindi prepares for first England Test in 17 years

Home team will be without fast bowler Shahen Afridi for three-match series that starts on December 1

Pakistan wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan during a training session at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. England will play a three-match Test series in Pakistan from next month. EPA

Pakistan players train at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. EPA

Players pacer Naseem Shah during training in Rawalpindi. EPA

Pakistan will play England in a three-match series that begins at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on December 1. EPA

Pakistan players take part in catching practice. EPA

Ground staff prepare the pitch at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. EPA

Ground staff prepare the stands at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. EPA

Ground staff prepare the pitch in Rawalpindi. EPA

The pitch at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. EPA

After the seemingly non-stop hustle and bustle of T20 cricket following two World Cups within 12 months, it's time for a breather in the form of a three-match Test series in the subcontinent.

England are all set to play a Test series in Pakistan 17 years after last touring the country in 2005, marking another major milestone for the sport in Pakistan as it returns to a prominent position in international cricket's calendar.

The tour is a continuation of England's visit before the T20 World Cup in the form of a seven-match T20 series - which England won. Jos Buttler's team then went on to beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Pakistan will therefore have a point to prove when the first Test begins in Rawalpindi on December 1. Multan will host the second Test from December 9 before Karachi hosts the final match from December 17.

However, strike bowler Shaheen Afridi will miss the three-match Test series. Also missing is out-of-form leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who has taken 45 England wickets in nine Tests since his debut in 2014.

Afridi, 22, aggravated a knee injury during the final of the T20 World Cup. He also had his appendix removed later - a surgery that usually needs at least three weeks of recovery.