Faisalabad set to host international cricket after 17 years

LAHORE: After a long wait of nearly two decades, international cricket is finally returning to Faisalabad, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) prepares to host two T20 Internationals between Pakistan and Bangladesh at the historic Iqbal Stadium next month.

According to sources, the Bangladesh cricket team is expected to tour Pakistan in the third week of May for a five-match T20I series. The proposed dates for the series are May 25, 27, and 30, and June 1 and 3.

The first two matches of the series are likely to be held in Faisalabad, marking the return of international cricket to the city after 17 years. The last time Iqbal Stadium hosted an international fixture was on April 11, 2008, when Pakistan faced Bangladesh in a One-Day International.

The remaining three T20Is are expected to be played in Lahore at the Gaddafi Stadium. Originally, the tour was scheduled to feature three ODIs and three T20Is, but after mutual discussions between the PCB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the series was reshaped into a five-match T20I series.