Bangladesh tour exposes PCB's climate blindness

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided that it has heat-resistant players and spectators. Our stadiums, much like the ones in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup and the Japan National Stadium used for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, are either air-conditioned (a climate catastrophe), or smartly designed for better airflow to cool spectators. Of course in Pakistan's case, this is not true.

Yet for Bangladesh's tour of Pakistan—pending changes following the rejigging to the PSL schedule—the visiting team was scheduled to arrive in the country on May 25 for two T20I matches in Faisalabad, followed by three in Lahore. That schedule has now been tentatively forwarded to May 27, with venues publicly undeclared.

How is the weather slated for the schedule? Faisalabad will have daytime temperatures of over 40 degrees, while Lahore is just a few degrees below. Evening temperatures remain in the 30s.

As per the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP), Bangladesh was initially visiting for three ODIs and three T20Is. The ODIs were scrapped not because of weather, but because both cricketing boards decided that the teams would prepare for the next global tournament, the World Twenty20—nevermind that the event is not to begin for another 8 months, in February 2026.

While our federal government declines to use modern satellite images to sight the moon for Eid, the least that the PCB could have done is open a weather app. These schedules are clearly being made by individuals sitting in air-conditioned rooms, and who will later watch the matches from air-conditioned suites for the privileged few.

The international cricket calendar has now resembled what the professional tennis calendar looks like now—there is simply no more space. A regular conversation with the cricket calendar is that there are too many matches which lead to player fatigue. An additional conversation is needed over when we are playing those matches.

Despite the T20Is against Bangladesh being night time matches, the temperature will only be marginally cooler. High performance athleticism in high temperatures poses significant risks to the human body, raising the body's core temperature that can lead to heat exhaustion causing greater cardiovascular stress and in extreme cases, even kidney failure. For fans sitting in stadiums with poor ventilation and no wind tunnels, this makes for a greatly uncomfortable viewing experience.

This has been the tragedy of not developing cricket venues outside of Punjab and Karachi, it has not only halted progress in terms of developing the sport nationally, but has restricted the choice of venues that the PCB can rely on with climate change significantly altering our day to day lives, even when it comes to recreational activities.

Meanwhile, cities like Quetta offer summer evenings in the 20s, and night time temperatures that Karachiites would deem chilly in winter.

Ayub Stadium in Quetta has played host to two ODI matches, both against India. The first in October 1978, India narrowly won by 4 runs despite a half-century by Majid Khan, while Pakistan chased 171. The second match at Ayub Stadium took place six years later, in October 1984, which Pakistan won by 46 runs. Cricket in Quetta then shifted to the Bugti Stadium, though it only played host to one ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in October 1996 which Pakistan won by three wickets, and saw the debut of 15 year old Hasan Raza.