Rawalpindi, Nov 24 (IANS): Andy Pycroft, member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, will lead the seven-member playing control teams for the three ICC World Test Championship fixtures between Pakistan and England in December.

The three Tests between Pakistan and England are part of the ICC World Test Championship's second cycle and are scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi (December 1-5), Multan (December 9-13) and Karachi (December 17-21).

Six umpires, three of whom are from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will officiate in the series. Three of them are from Pakistan - Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz are members of the ICC International Panel of Umpires.

Joel Wilson, who is one of the 11 members of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will join Ahsan Raza as on-field umpire for the opening Test in Rawalpindi, which will be the first meeting in the longest format of the game between the two sides on the Pakistani soil since 2005. Marais Erasmus will be the third umpire and Asif Yaqoob will be the fourth umpire.

Marais Erasmus and Aleem Dar, the other two umpires from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will take on-field duties for the second Test in Multan with Joel Wilson and Rashid Riaz performing third and fourth umpire duties.

The playing control team for the third Test in Karachi will be the same as the first Test with Joel Wilson and Ahsan Raza returning as on-field umpires and Marais Erasmus and Asif Yaqoob taking up third and fourth umpire roles.

The upcoming Tests against England is Pakistan's fifth series in the current WTC cycle - their last series will be the two Tests against New Zealand at home in December 2022 and January 2023. These three Tests will be England's final appearance in the second edition of the World Test Championship.