Karachi: Heavy rain washed out the opening match of Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan before play began on Friday, disappointing cricket fans who had flocked to the stadium for what was to be the first ODI played on a Karachi pitch in a decade.
Teams have been reluctant to visit the cricket-mad country since a deadly militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009, and Karachi has not hosted a one-day international since then. Since then Pakistan have been forced to play nearly all of their “home” matches in the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns. Heavy showers began as soon the teams were whisked into the National Stadium under tight security in the afternoon. The disappointment from spectators was palpable.
Karachi will still host the remaining ODIs on the tour, with Sunday’s match rescheduled to Monday to avoid possible rain. The two teams will also play three Twenty20 internationals in Lahore next month.
Security measures
The latest series is an attempt by Pakistan Cricket Board to bring international cricket back into the country following the 2009 attacks.
Zimbabwe were the first team to tour in Pakistan for six years when they played two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals in Lahore in 2015.
For the current tour, Pakistan have put in place stringent security measures normally reserved for heads of state. All the arrangements are being led by the country’s military. (AFP)
