CUMBRIA's cricketing heroes face a quick turnaround following their historic T20 World Cup victory with England as they prepare to face beaten finalists Pakistan in a test series in December.
Cockermouth's Ben Stokes, whose unbeaten 52 in the final was instrumental in England reaching their target of 138 in the final, will join fellow Cumbrian Liam Livingstone, from Barrow, on the plane from Australia to Abu Dhabi on November 18.
The Cumbrian pair shared the crease for the final overs in the final, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, as they saw out England's famous victory which make them undisputed white-ball kings.
They now look to quickly switch their attention to the red ball format, as Stokes, Livingstone, ex-Sedbergh School pupil Harry Brook and Mark Wood have all been omitted from England's ODI squad to face Australia so they can focus on preparations for the trip to trouble-stricken Pakistan.
The three-match series will form part of the 2021 -23 World Test Championship, and the first match, scheduled for December 1 in Rawalpindi, could make a particularly special moment for Barrovian Livingstone, as he hopes to make his England test team debut.
READ MORE: Cumbrian duo bat England to glory in dramatic World Cup Final
He has been called up once before for the red-ball side for the 2018 tour to New Zealand, but didn't play and has been overlooked until now.
England selected Livingstone in its 15-man squad despite the big-hitting all rounder not playing first-class cricket in more than a year while he focused his efforts on the limited-overs formats.
However, his explosive, swashbuckling style clearly suits the attacking instincts of test captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, while his bowling is also an attractive option in the subcontinent, given his ability to switch easily between off-spin and leg-spin depending on the opponent.
After contentiously pulling out of a scheduled tour of Pakistan in 2021, 29-year-old Livingstone will be desperate to make an impact on the tour, and grab the attention once more of England's selectors.
The second test will take place in Multan on December 9, and the concluding test will be held at the National Stadium in Karachi from December 17.
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