Amid BCCI vs PCB Champions Trophy Hosting Row, Sri Lanka A To Leave Pakistan Tour Midway Over Political Protests

Sri Lanka’s A team will return home midway from their ongoing series against Pakistan Shaheens due to intense political protests in Islamabad. The PCB confirmed on Tuesday that following consultation with the Sri Lankan board, it has postponed the last two 50-over matches between Pakistan Shaheens and Sri Lanka A. The postponed matches were scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi on Wednesday and Friday after Pakistan Shaheens beat the visitors by 108 runs in the first game in Islamabad on Monday.

The PCB said the two boards will work together to finalize new dates to complete the series.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party of the former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan started a protest march towards main Islamabad since Sunday. There have been incidents of clashes and violence reported between protesters and forces of law enforcement and security.

The federal interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, also the chairman of the PCB, had announced that the army had been called in to quell the unrest.

Meanwhile, The all-powerful board of the International Cricket Council will meet virtually on November 29 to finalize the much-delayed schedule of the Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan in February-March next year.

The cause of the delay has been India’s refusal to play in Pakistan considering the tense relations between the two countries. India has not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The BCCI wants the tournament to be played in a hybrid model with India games scheduled in a third country, preferably UAE, something that its Pakistani counterpart has not agreed to thus far.

“The ICC board will meet on November 29 to discuss the Champions Trophy schedule,” an ICC spokesperson told PTI on Tuesday.

The crucial virtual meeting takes places two days before BCCI secretary Jay Shah takes over as ICC chairman on December 1.

He and other board members would be keen to resolve the matter before the new regime takes over.

With the deadlock over the schedule and venue yet to be broken, questions have been raised against the current dispensation of the ICC including chair Greg Barclay and CEO over why it did not resolve the issue earlier and left it for the 11th hour.

With the Indian government firmly sticking to the status quo, Champions Trophy in a hybrid model with India games outside Pakistan is the most likely option.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)