Pakistan government to deploy army troops for tri-nation series

Pakistan are set to host New Zealand and South Africa for a tri-series ahead of the all-important ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The series will begin on February 08 and ahead of its commencement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked for deployment of tight security at the series venues through the Pakistan Army Rangers starting Wednesday, February 05.

According to the latest developments, section 245 of the relevant Pakistani law has been applied in the city of Lahore, where the iconic Gaddafi Stadium will be hosting the matches in the series.

“Army troops being deployed in Lahore under Article 245”, a circular dispatched by the provincial government read, as quoted by The Nation Pakistan.

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The Tri-Nation series schedule

Speaking more of the series, the first match is set to be played between New Zealand and Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium on February 08, followed by the second ODI of the series, again in Lahore, where the BlackCaps will cross swords with South Africa on February 10. The third contest of the series will be fought between the Men in Green and the Proteas, for which the action would shift to Karachi, where the National Stadium will host the series finale as well, which is scheduled for February 14.

The series would end just five days before the marquee tournament gets underway, where the defending champions will be up against the Mitchell Santner-led side in the tournament opener on February 19. The high-stakes clash between India and Pakistan during the tournament will take place four days later on February 23, where the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) will be hosting the mega event.

Pakistan squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan, Salman Agha (vc), Faheem Ashraf, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi