The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday released a revised schedule for the upcoming T20I tri-nation series involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Under the revised schedule, all seven T20I matches, including the final, will now be held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The series, seen as important preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, originally featured five matches in Lahore.
The opening match of the tri-series will be played between Pakistan and Zimbabwe on November 18.
“Each team will play four matches, with the top two teams qualifying for the final scheduled for November 29,” the PCB press release said.
The schedule of the tr-nation series comes hours after PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi announced a revised schedule for the remaining one-day international (ODIs) matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Announcing the revised fixtures, the PCB chief said the remaining ODI matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will now be played in Rawalpindi on November 14 and 16.
Addressing X, Naqvi expressed his gratitude to the Sri Lankan team for their decision to continue with the tour of Pakistan. “The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines brightly,” he wrote.
The new schedules came after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed the continuation of the ongoing Pakistan tour after fears were raised following Tuesday’s suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed 12 people and injured 27 outside a court.
In a statement, the SLC clarified that if a player wishes to return to Sri Lanka despite the assurance, he will be replaced in a bid to ensure the continuation of the ongoing series without interruption, but the player will have to undergo a formal review by the cricket board over his actions.
The Sri Lanka Cricket Board said in the statement that the team management had informed the board earlier in the day that some members of the national team had requested to leave Pakistan.
The board said it had immediately contacted the players and assured them that all safety concerns were being addressed in close coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and relevant authorities.
In a statement, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar thanked the Sri Lankan cricket team and said: “We are honored by your presence.”
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also said, “Our special thanks to the Sri Lankan cricket team for their visit and for a good display of cricket. Our best wishes and gratitude.”
Schedule for three series
November 18 – Pakistan v Zimbabwe
November 20 – Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe
November 22 – Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
November 23 – Pakistan v Zimbabwe
November 25 – Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe
November 27 – Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
November 29 – Final
