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Tuesday March 19, 2024

PCB trying to arrange ODI, T20 series in Pakistan

By Our Correspondent
July 13, 2019

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is trying to arrange a quick three-match ODI or T20 games series with a Test-playing nation in the coming months or maybe early next year in Pakistan.

The series would be the PCB’s effort of reviving international cricket at home soil. PCB has already had successful talks with Sri Lanka, which has agreed to play a Test match in Lahore. The Sri Lankan Cricket Board will be sending a security expert to Pakistan to weigh up the security system before it takes any call on the scheduled Test series in Lahore and Karachi.

PCB is expecting Sri Lanka to play Test matches in Lahore and Karachi in September-October, which is also a part of the ICC World Test Championship. In case the series could not happen, Bangladesh, South Africa, the West Indies and Afghanistan are some other teams anyone of which might have a stopover in Pakistan before they taking their scheduled series against other countries. Bangladesh is to travel to India in November and they have no cricket to play from August to October.

Similarly, South Africa is to play India in September and October and it can spare some days to stop in Pakistan for a quick series before heading to India or afterwards.

The West Indies is to play Afghanistan in a T20, ODI and a one off Test match series in November so they too have some time in between their series to visit Pakistan. Pakistan team has an open window of around 90 days from August to October before the team flies over to Australia for Test series and around a month of January before the Pakistan Super League in February-March.

Ireland is another optional team that could be convinced to visit Pakistan as they too have around four-month open window. Pakistan will be playing three T20 games against Australia on November 3, 5, and 8 at Sydney, Canberra and Perth before their two Test matches on November 21 to 25 at Brisbane and a day and nighter from November 29 to December 3 at Adelaide. The series would be considered Pakistan’s preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which is also to take place in Australia in October next year. Pakistan were one of the unlucky sides to miss out on a semi-final spot in the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

The South Asian side finished fifth, just one spot below the mark. Nevertheless, the attention will now turn to next year, with the T20 World Cup coming up. Pakistan would be having a fresh team management with its assignment being the T20 World Cup. Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq and his team, bowling coach Azhar Mahmood, batting coach Grant Flower, team manager Talat Ali losing their jobs.