Sri Lanka ready to play international cricket in Pakistan

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has agreed to play one Twenty20 international in Lahore on October 29 but only if the World Eleven tour of Pakistan goes off successfully next week.

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday released the itinerary for the home series against Sri Lanka which will begin in the United Arab Emirates from September 28.

The series includes two Test matches including a day-night game in Dubai, five One-day internationals and three T20 matches the last of which is scheduled in Lahore subject to security clearance.

The PCB said in its statement that the match against Sri Lanka would be a continuation of the return of international cricket to Pakistan following the World XI tour to Lahore next week.

Militants had attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009 while going to the Gaddafi stadium leading to international teams refusing to tour Pakistan since then due to security concerns.

The PCB is also in the final stage of negotiations with the West Indies Cricket Board for a three-match T20 series in Lahore in November.

The World XI, led by South African captain Faf du Plessis and coached by Andy Flower, is due to reach Lahore on Sunday night from Dubai.

After a visit by the International Cricket Council's security team to Lahore this week the PCB has finalised a six-layer security plan for the World XI visit which will cover them from their hotel to the Gaddafi stadium.

Hundreds of policemen, paramilitary and military personnel will be on security duty for the series and from Sunday the roads leading to the Gaddafi stadium will be closed for the general public.

Due to security reasons the PCB has made it clear that no player or official of the World XI would be available for one to one interview sessions apart from the routine pre-match and post-match media conferences.

Apart from a short visit by Zimbabwe in 2015, Pakistan has been starved of international cricket since the 2009 attack in which six security staff and two civilians were killed and six of Sri Lanka's players were wounded.

Subject to security clearance, Sri Lanka will play Pakistan at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on October 29 in the final fixture of a three-match T20 series.

The first two will be played in Pakistan's adopted United Arab Emirates 'home' after a two-Test series starting in Abu Dhabi on September 28 and five one-day internationals.

The second Test in Dubai starting October 6 will be Sri Lanka's first day-night match in the longest format.

Itinerary

Tests

September 28-Oct. 2, first test, Abu Dhabi

October 6-10, second test (day-night), Dubai

ODIs

October 13, first ODI, Dubai

October 16, second ODI, Abu Dhabi

October 18, third ODI, Abu Dhabi

October 24, fourth ODI, Sharjah

October 23, fifth ODI, Sharjah

T20I

October 26, first T20I, Abu Dhabi

October 27, second T20I, Abu Dhabi

October 29, third T20I, Lahore