Pakistan expecting full-strength Sri Lankan team for Test tour

[Abdullah719]

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is hoping that Sri Lanka’s top players, who opted out of the recent limited overs series, will not shun the upcoming two-match Test series.

The PCB announced Rawalpindi and Karachi as venues for two ICC Test Championship matches in December. Pakistan had won the ODI series 2-0 while the Lankans whitewashed the hosts 3-0 in the Twenty20 series.

If the series goes ahead on schedule, it will be the first Test series in Pakistan in 10 years time.

“The indications are that most of the ten players who did not come to Pakistan for the limited over series in Sept-Oct due to security concerns will be part of the Test squad,” a PCB source said.

The source added that Sri Lankan Board (SLC) has conveyed to the PCB they would confirm the Test tour in a week’s time after due approval from their executive committee and government.

The source said the SLC had arranged a briefing by some of the players and officials who came to Pakistan with players who pulled out of the white ball tour.

“Apparently most of these 10 players were satisfied with the briefing given to them by their teammates and officials about the security situation in Pakistan and the arrangements made for them. Most of them have shown willingness to play the Test series,” he said.

The 10 players included Test and ODI captain Dimuth Karunaratne, senior players Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Angelo Matthews, Thisara Perara, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva and Suranga Lakmal.

Apparently the issue of players having to remain most of the time at their hotel in Pakistan due to the tight security arrangements was also discussed at the briefing by the SLC

The Sri Lankan Board after getting approval from its executive committee will send a security delegation to Pakistan for another inspection, which will include a visit to Rawalpindi and Karachi.

“Their security delegation is scheduled to visit again because Rawalpindi did not host any match of the recent white ball series,” the source said.

Pakistan has not hosted a Test series since terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March, 2009 leading to Pakistan’s isolation as an international cricket venue.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...strength-sri-lankan-team-for-test-tour-903394

 

[saeed5646]

Excellent news for Pakistan

Ideally pcb should have tested different type of pitches at karachi and Rawalpindi in current first class matches which would have given them idea about pitch behaviour and what will be perfect surface for Pakistan team

Not sure what kind of pitch they will prepare as it is almost 10 years Pakistan have played any test at home and going by history we don't have good track record about the pitches in test format .Icc rules have changed and we cannot afford to prepare dead wicket which will hamper our Chances in test championship

 

[saeed5646]

Pindi does have history of good supporting wicket for fast bowlers but i cannot remember when was last time we played on surface like that

Also god bless our fast bowler if we are going to use aus kookabura ball .

 

[Shoaib88]

This is great news, I really hope to see some good crowd. Also chances of winning in Pakistan are much higher than in UAE in tests

 

[Omer2002]

Not looking at the Quaid Trophy this year...The pitches have to be supportive and in our case we need to focus on pace as we hardly can play spin oursleves which will be very hard

 

[Danyaalr01]

I really hope the wickets prepared aren't dead like we are seeing in the QeA trophy. PCB has to realise they need wins for any chance in the test Championship and must prepare tracks which will get results. Put some green on and make sure it ages well. The green will suit Pakistan a lot more than Sri Lanka.

Even if Naseem doesn't perform in Australia, he must play the Sri Lanka series, we desperately need a pacer like him in Pakistan conditions. Someone who can bowl quick and full with the odd bouncer.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Great news . Should be a very good series between two evenly matched teams. Will determine the Asian no.2 test team in my book.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

The PCB announced Rawalpindi and Karachi as venues for two ICC Test Championship matches in December.

Excellent venues and perfect time of the year!

 

[cricketjoshila]

SLC has no valid reason after being in Pakistan fof 15 days.

 

[tabishowais]

Will see it to believe it!

 

[MenInG]

PCB has announced Rawalpindi and Karachi as venues to host Sri Lanka in December as chances of Pakistan hosting its first Test series in 10 years have improved after discussions with the SLC.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sent an itinerary for the two Tests of the ICC World Test Championship to the Sri Lankan board. The first test will be held in Rawalpindi from December 11 to 15 while Karachi will host the second Test from December 19-23.

Since March, 2009 when the Sri Lankan team was attacked by militants in Lahore, no team has toured Pakistan for a Test series.

The PCB has scheduled no practice or side matches for the touring side.

A well-informed source said that talks are going on between the two boards and the chances of Sri Lanka coming over for the short series are bright.

Comments by the President of the Sri Lankan cricket board after he returned home from the limited overs cricket tour of Pakistan had dampened the spirits of the PCB and Pakistani supporters.

Shammi de Silva had noted after his team’s successful 14-days tour of Karachi and Lahore that the security was at times suffocating and they got fed-up being confined to their hotel rooms after only three days.

The PCB then clarified that it had given state-level security to the visiting side on the request of their Board and it had still offered the visiting players and officials to take them to play golf, shopping and dinners.

The source said that with the proposed itinerary the PCB has also sent its complete security plan and the arrangements it will make for the Sri Lankan players.

At least 10 top Sri Lankan players pulled out of the tour to Pakistan in September to play three ODIs and three T20 matches due to security concerns from their families.

The Sri Lankan side despite missing some key players including their regular ODI and T20 captains still managed to whitewash Pakistan in the T20 series in Lahore.

The source said that the Sri Lankan sports minister and some board officials had assured the PCB they would arrange briefings from the players who played in Pakistan and try to get the main players to also be part of the Test squad for the two matches in December.

“If the Sri Lankans come for Tests then we are confident that Bangladesh will also agree to send its team for the two matches and T20 games in January,” a PCB official said.

Pakistan is presently hosting the Bangladesh women’s team and the Bangladesh under-16 junior side in Lahore and believes these visits will lead the Bangladesh Cricket Board to take positive decisions.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...i-lanka-pcb/story-KAY5Zuh6URqdnCWd9hpiVP.html