The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday issued a revised schedule for the upcoming T20I tri-nation series involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.
According to the revised schedule, all seven T20I matches, including the final, will now be held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The series, seen as key preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, originally had five matches in Lahore.
The opening game of the tri-series will be played between Pakistan and Zimbabwe on November 18.
“Each team will feature in four matches, with the top two sides qualifying for the final scheduled on November 29”, the PCB press release stated.
The tr-nation series schedule comes hours after PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi had announced a revised schedule for the remaining one-day international (ODIs) matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Announcing the revised schedule, the PCB chief said that the remaining ODI matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will now be played on November 14 and 16 in Rawalpindi.
Taking to X, Naqvi expressed gratitude to the Sri Lankan team for their decision to continue the Pakistan tour. “The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines bright,” he wrote.
The new schedules came after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed continuation of the ongoing Pakistan tour after fears arose following Tuesday’s suicide bombing in Islamabad, which killed 12 people and wounded 27 outside a court.
In a statement, the SLC clarified that if any player wants 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 would have to undergo a formal assessment by the cricket board over his actions.
The Sri Lankan cricket board, in the statement, said the team management had informed the board earlier in the day that some members of the national squad had requested to leave Pakistan.
The board said it had immediately engaged with the players, assuring 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 honoured by your presence.”
Defence 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.”
Tri-series schedule
18th November – Pakistan v Zimbabwe
20th November – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe
22nd November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka
23rd November – Pakistan v Zimbabwe
25th November – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe
27th November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka
29th November – Final
