London, Aug 21 (IANS): As part of the World Test Championship, Pakistan will tour England next year for three Tests, it was announced on Wednesday.

The tour will also see the two teams engage in three T20Is and the first Test will be on July 3.

"This tour holds special significance since this will be Pakistan's first-ever tour of England for World Test Championship matches," Zakir Khan, PCB's director of International cricket, was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

"A tour of England tests the skills and limits of the visiting sides and I anticipate this tour to help Pakistan furnish their red-ball skills and also prepare them for the all-important ICC T20 World Cup in Australia latter in 2020.

"The PCB and the English and Wales Cricket Board enjoy an amicable relationship and this being Pakistan's third bilateral tour of England in the last four years perfectly mirrors it. In 2010, the ECB provided the PCB facilities to host Australia in a two-match Test series."

The first Test will be played at Lord's while the second will take place in Manchester (from August 7) with the final game being hosted at Trent Bridge from August 20.

The three T20Is will be played on August 29, 31 and September 2 in Leeds, Cardiff and Southampton respectively, the Cricbuzz report said.

It was also confirmed that England's return tour in 2022 will be played in October (3 ODIs) and in December (3 Tests).