PCB planning to keep Pakistan-West Indies ODIs as day-night affairs to combat heatwave

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to make the upcoming Pakistan-West Indies One Day International series a day-night affair in order to combat the heatwave in the country. However, there are no confirmed developments regarding this initiative as of now.

The West Indies had toured Pakistan in December last year for a limited-overs bilateral series. Even though the T20I series went on smoothly with the hosts registering a 3-0 whitewash, the One Day Internationals had to be postponed to June 2022 after multiple cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the West Indies team and support staff. The rescheduled ODI series will now be played on June 8, 10, and 12.

PCB is contemplating starting the matches at 5 pm instead of 2 pm: Reports

According to reports in Cricket Pakistan, “PCB is contemplating starting the matches at 5 pm instead of 2 pm due to the forecasted heatwave, which is expected to be deadly this time around.”

The report further states that, “The Met Office claimed that Rawalpindi and Multan are expected to hit above 40°C in the first week of June and the temperatures are expected to hit even higher later on.

Apart from all these, the Pakistan Cricket Board is also planning to take added precautionary measures such as taking extra drinks breaks to tackle the hot weather conditions. Furthermore, coolers could also be installed in the players’ dugouts.

After whitewashing the West Indies in the shortest format earlier, Pakistan would be hoping to showcase a similar performance in the 50-overs format as well. In fact, Pakistan would be heading into the contest having already registered a home ODI series victory. They came from behind to get the better of Australia in the three-match ODI series with a convincing 2-1 win last month despite losing the series-opener.

The West Indies, on the other hand, would be hoping to field a full-strength squad and be looking forward to grooming a long-term leader after Kieron Pollard bid adieu to international cricket.