Sri Lanka cricket, with Pakistan Cricket Board’s permission, has decided to scrap the three scheduled one-day internationals (ODI) from the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
The decision frees Sri Lanka to start its Lankan Premier League a week early during a time of economic crisis for the country.
Pakistan will now only face Sri Lanka for two test matches.
The three-match ODI series was already not a part of the ICC World Cup Super League so PCB saw no issues in granting the hosts’ request.
According to reports from Cricket Pakistan, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to remove ODIs as they were planning to stage the Lanka Premier League (LPL) “one week before the scheduled time”.
The report added that the upcoming month-long tour of Australia in Sri Lanka in June-July could very well decide the future of international cricket in the island nation.
Australia is scheduled to begin the tour with the first of the three T20I in Colombo on June 7, which will be followed by a five-match ODI series and finally the two Tests in Galle.
If Cricket Australia (CA) forgoes the scheduled series, given the economic and political turmoil in the island nation, the plans of hosting of the Asia Cup in August/September in Sri Lanka will also fall into jeopardy.
UAE is already being considered an alternate venue in such an event.
Sri Lanka is currently going through a worsening economic and political crisis with protests becoming frequent sights each day.
Reportedly only 12 hours of electricity is being provided to households in the country which would preclude the hosting of day-night matches due to fuel shortages.
