PCB announces schedule for Sri Lanka series

Month-long series includes two Tests, three one-dayers in August

KARACHI: The Pakistan cricket team will travel to Sri Lanka for a month-long series against the Islanders in the month of August, after dates between the two cricket boards were agreed upon.

Pakistan have had a dry period since the World Twenty20 in April, and the series was not originally scheduled in the Future Tours Programme until the boards came to an agreement during the sidelines of an International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai last month.

This will be the fifth series between the two Asian neighbours since Sri Lanka had to cut short a tour of Pakistan, after the visitors were attacked by terrorists in Lahore in March 2009.

Pakistan also toured Sri Lanka in 2010 and 2012, while they hosted the Islanders in the UAE in 2011 and earlier this year.

The PCB said the team will reach Sri Lanka on August 2 and play the first Test in Galle from August 6. The second Test will be played in Colombo from August 14-18.

The first one-dayer will be contested in Hambantota on August 23, followed by two day-night encounters in Pallekele on August 27, and then concluding with a third in Colombo on August 30.

“There hasn’t been any addition or deduction of matches in our discussions because we wanted to keep it a month-long tour. South Africa will play against Sri Lanka after us, which is why the idea was to have two Tests and three one-dayers in August,” a PCB official told The Express Tribune.

“We were not keen on T20Is because we have just played that format last month at the World Twenty20.”