Pakistan to tour Sri Lanka for just two Tests, ODIs removed on SLC’s request

Pakistan will be touring Sri Lanka in the month of July-August just for the two Tests as the three-match ODI series has been cancelled as per requests from the Sri Lanka cricket board. 

While the Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23, the ODIs were not included in the ICC World Cup Super League. A lot has been happening in Sri Lanka in recent times in terms of their economic and political issues and it has played a part in the series getting cancelled.

As there have been power shortage in the country, hosting day-night games is going to be difficult moving forward. Also, Cricket Australia has been looking into the situation in Sri Lanka as their national team is scheduled to tour the Island nation for two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is later this year. It will also be followed by the Asia Cup and Sri Lanka will have to come up with backup plans to maintain its international schedule.

Pakistan Cricket Board media director noted Sri Lanka board requested to cancel the ODIs so that they can schedule the Lanka Premier League a week in advance which will be a boost amid the financial crisis. He added that the final schedule of the Pakistan tour to Sri Lanka will be updated soon. Due to the current situation in Sri Lanka, the board has also decided on the UAE as the backup venue for the Lanka Premier League.

“Sri Lankan board wants to start their league a week ago to reduce the financial deficit, so they asked us to remove the ODI series, which was accepted,” PCB Director Media Sami-ul-Hasan Burney said as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.

“Since the ODIs were not part of the World Cup Super League, we did not object. The final schedule of the series is still being discussed and will be released soon,” he added.