Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: PCB & SLC mutually agree to reschedule second ODI

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rescheduled the second One-Day International match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka which was set to be held on Sunday. The match will now take on Monday as Pakistan desperately hope for the weather to improve. The rain has wreaked havoc in Karachi and the signs are not promising at all.

The decision to reschedule the game was taken mutually by the PCB and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The board announced the decision soon after the opening match of the series was called off without a ball being bowled. Pakistan were all set to host the first major ODI on their home soil since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009.

After the attack, Pakistan had to shift their base to UAE as teams declined to travel to their backyard due to security reasons. But in recent times, the teams have started travelling to Pakistan. Since 2015, Zimbabwe, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and a World XI side have visited the country. But Sri Lanka’s ongoing tour is the longest since the attack in 2009.

However, the start of the series was disappointing as rain played spoilsport. And both the boards later agreed that the groundsmen need more time to prepare the grounds. Consequently, the game has been rescheduled to Monday. The heavy rain in Karchi has left the outfield soggy, with the groundsmen requiring, at least, two complete days to make the ground fit for cricket.

PCB thanks SLC

PCB director Zakir Khan explained the reason behind rescheduling the game as he blamed the unseasonal rain for the same. He further thanked Sri Lanka Cricket and other parties for agreeing to reschedule the game.

“This week’s unseasonal heavy rains have forced us to review the series schedule. I am thankful to Sri Lanka Cricket as well as our host broadcasters for agreeing to amend the match schedule to ensure there are no further cancellations due to rain in what is an important bilateral FTP series for Pakistan,” said Zakir Khan.

The PCB has also announced that tickets sold for the Friday match will be valid for either of the second or third ODI. On the other hand, the tickets sold for Sunday’s match may also be used for either of September 30 or October 2 match. As per the PCB ticketing policy for the series, the PCB will also allow refund of all tickets for Friday’s match.