Sri Lanka national cricket team is likely to travel Pakistan in this October to play at least one Test. If it happens, then it will be the first Test match on the Pakistan soil since 2009.
According to the latest report of ESPNcricinfo, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is thinking to play a Test match against Pakistan on their home venue. Recently, the SLC sent their four-member security delegation team to Pakistan, and they have given the positive report to the SLC.
The SLC CEO Ashley de Silva claimed, “The feedback we got from the security team was very positive. We’ll be talking to the PCB about some alternatives before we arrive at a decision. The government will be consulted as well.”
Sri Lanka was the last team to play a Test against Pakistan in the home soil
Since the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus ahead of the day three of Lahore Test, Pakistan has never organised a Test match on their home soil. After the long six years gap, since 2015, Pakistan is organising a few limited-overs international games. From 2015, Pakistan has organised three ODIs and nine T20Is till the date.
Sri Lanka travelled in Pakistan in 2017 to play one T20I against the hosts Pakistan. They played that game on 29th October 2017 at Lahore which Pakistan won by 36 runs.
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Recently, after the Sri Lanka Easter bombings in last April, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent the U19 side in Sri Lanka. The Pakistan youth side played in Sri Lanka in last May-June, and the visitors won the five-match youth ODI series by the 3-2 margins.
Now, the SLC is considering sending their national team to Pakistan for at least one Test match. According to the FTP schedule, Pakistan will host a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in this October. Earlier, Pakistan agreed to organise both these Test matches in UAE, their alternative home venue. However, they have now wished to organise at least one Test on the Pakistan soil.
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This Test series will be the part of the 2019-21 ICC World Test Championship. After this Test series, Pakistan also has the schedule to host the three-match ODI series and three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.
Recently, the PCB claimed that Pakistan would host the entire Pakistan Super League 2020 (PSL 2020).