England skipper Jos Buttler said Thursday he hopes his injury-hit Twenty20 side embrace the challenge of facing a strong Pakistan team on their first tour of the country in 17 years.
Security issues have meant Pakistan has struggled to attract visiting sides since an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009, but tours have slowly resumed in the past few years -- with England the latest.
This seven-match series is seen as a preparation for next month's Twenty20 World Cup to be held in Australia, and Buttler hoped his young side build up well for the mega event. "We look forward to the tough challenge and to be battle-hardened for the World Cup after this series," said Buttler, who will miss the first few games to recover fully from a calf injury.
Two of England's World Cup squad members -- Liam Livingstone and Chris Jordan -- are also missing this series as they recover from ankle and finger injuries respectively, while Test skipper Ben Stokes was given a rest.