We have no issues touring Sri Lanka for the Test series: PCB official

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced its 12-month schedule for both the men’s and women’s teams last month. While the men’s team will be hosting the 2019 World Cup finalists in England and New Zealand, they would also be touring for away bilateral series and one of them is the Sri Lankan tour scheduled for July-August this year.

Sri Lanka is currently facing its worst-ever economic crisis which has caused a lot of unrest in the country as the public has resorted to violent protests on the streets against the government. Australia’s Sri Lanka tour is in doubt for the same reason. Nonetheless, the PCB has assured that they would be sending their team to the island nation for the two-match Test series and the bilateral series is on irrespective of the situation.

We have no issues touring Sri Lanka: PCB official

“We are always ready to support Sri Lanka Cricket even in difficult times and we have no issues touring the country for the test series,” a PCB official said as quoted by The Hindu. The political and economic tension in Sri Lanka has worsened to such an extent that it has completely stopped the broadcast of the ongoing IPL 2022 in the country.

While both Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Cricket Australia (CA) are in talks to conduct the all-format bilateral series in June-July despite tensions in the ‘Emerald Island’, their rights of hosting the Asia Cup in August-September are in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the decision on the Asia Cup 2022 hosting rights might well be taken at the end of this month post the conclusion of the Indian Premier League at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Reports also state that the SLC officials might fly down to Ahmedabad for the IPL final when the decision on the Asia Cup is likely to be taken.

As far as the country’s political scenario is concerned, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new Sri Lankan Prime Minister after Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his position on May 9.