ISLAMABAD: The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League One-Day Internationals between Pakistan and the West Indies have been shifted to Multan, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Monday, without specifying a reason for the venue change.
West Indies was to play three Twenty20s and three one-day internationals as part of their tour to Pakistan in December, but cut short the series after a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in their touring party.
“The [ODI] games will take place on the dates announced earlier i.e. 8, 10 and 12 June, with the matches starting at 1600 PKT time,” PCB said.
Though the board did not say why the series had been moved to Multan from Rawalpindi, the twin city to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, it is widely believed that it is a preemptive measure against potential disruptions caused by political rallies.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister, whose government was toppled in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April, has since been mobilizing supporters through public rallies to pressure the government into an early election. He led a long march to the capital last week that saw clashes between police and marchers in major cities around the country.
PCB said the training camp of the Pakistan cricket team would be held in Lahore from June 1-4 before the squad moved to Multan on June 5. Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, who are presently playing county cricket in the United Kingdom, will arrive on June 1 and join the camp the next day.
The West Indies squad will arrive in Islamabad on June 6 and travel to Multan on a charter flight.
Series schedule with umpire and match referee appointments:
June 8 – 1st ODI, Multan Cricket Stadium. Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire) and Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee).
June 10 – 2nd ODI, Multan Cricket Stadium. Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee).
June 12 – 3rd ODI, Multan Cricket Stadium. Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee).
Pakistan squad for West Indies ODIs:
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper/batter), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper/batter), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Zahid Mahmood.