On Friday, the first ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was abandoned due to the heavy downpour and not so good drainage system at the National Stadium in Karachi. It was a disappointing return for cricket to Pakistan as Karanachi was hosting an ODI after a decade.
However, after the game was called off, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that the rain not only affected the match on Friday but also the second ODI which was earlier scheduled to be held at the same venue on Sunday. Cricket’s world governing body stated that the second ODI has now been rescheduled by a day and will now be playing on Monday (September 30).
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The ICC’s Twitter handle came up with a hilarious tweet to announce the latest development, asking fans if they had “ever heard of rain so heavy it washes out a game two days away?!”.
The second ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Karachi has been rescheduled from Sunday 29 September to Monday 30 September due to the rain which washed out the first ODI.
Have you ever heard of rain so heavy it washes out a game two days away?!https://t.co/ZTIhgcJc1O
— ICC (@ICC) September 28, 2019
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in a media release, confirmed that the decision has been made only after consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The press release read: “The decision has been made in order to allow the groundstaff to prepare the Karachi National Stadium’s outfield for next week’s play, as heavy rains experienced during this week have left the outfield soggy”.
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Talking about the same, PCB Director – International Cricket, Zakir Khan said, “This week’s unseasonal heavy rains have forced us to review the series schedule. I am thankful to Sri Lanka Cricket as well as our host broadcasters for agreeing to amend the match schedule to ensure there are no further abandonments due to rain in what is an important bilateral FTP series for Pakistan.”
Karachi will also be hosting the final ODI on the tour, while the two teams will play three T20Is in Lahore next month. The latest series is an attempt by the PCB to bring international cricket back into the country following the 2009 attacks. For the current series, Pakistan has put in place rigorous security measures normally reserved for heads of state.
