Multan likely to host ODI series against West Indies

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is mulling the option to move next month’s home series against West Indies from Rawalpindi because of fears of political turmoil in and around the capital in coming weeks.

Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ on Monday that Multan has emerged as the best possible option to host the three-match One-day International series against the visiting West Indians in June.

According to sources, PCB has been forced to look for other options after former prime minister Imran Khan announced plans to lead a march on the capital later this month to protest his ouster. “If there is such a development then the political situation in and around Islamabad and Rawalpindi will not be conducive to host the series against West Indies there,” a source said.

In normal circumstances, it would not have been difficult to relocate the series to be played from June 8-12 to either Lahore or Karachi. But the problem is that the Board has started carrying out extensive work on pitches both at the National Stadium in Karachi and the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

“At the moment, neither Karachi nor Lahore can host the series,” the source said. This leaves the Multan Cricket Stadium as the only viable choice to stage the series.

Multan may not have hosted any international cricket in many years but it has emerged as a reliable sporting centre in recent times. Earlier this year it hosted the final of the Pakistan Cup. Perhaps more importantly, Multan was the venue for one of the biggest golfing events in Pakistan's history in February when it hosted international golfing stars at the Inaugural of the Rumanza Golf Club. British golf legend Nick Faldo, former US Open champion Graeme McDowell, Spanish star Rafa Cabrera Bello and England ladies ace Charlie Hull featured in the event.

Multan has several decent hotels which means hosting the West Indian squad, which arrives on June 5, in the city shouldn’t cause any logistical issues. The only worrying fact is that Multan will be really hot during June.

The Board has to host the series in June because neither Pakistan nor West Indies have any other windows available to play the three ODI games this year. And it is important for Pakistan to hold the matches as they are part of the 2023 World Cup Super League.

The three games were initially part of a West Indies tour of Pakistan in December 2021. At the time West Indies were due to play three T20Is and three ODIs in Pakistan. The three T20Is were completed, with Pakistan winning the series 3-0. However, Covid-19 cases began to spiral in the West Indies camp, and, with mutual consent, the ODI leg of the series was postponed.