Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: First ODI called off, second ODI postponed

Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan was going to begin on September 27 at the Karachi Stadium. This was the first time Karachi would have witnessed international cricket in more than 10 years. Much to their disappointment, the match was called off because of incessant rains. It had rained overnight in Lahore as people hoped for the rains to clear up in time for the match.

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The second match postponed

After the first match was cancelled, the second match was pushed forward by a day. Karachi will have to wait another two days before it sees the return of the match. Here is the new match schedule for the tournament:

• September 27 - 1st ODI - 3:30 PM IST - Karachi - Cancelled
• September 30 - 2nd ODI - 3:30 PM IST - Karachi
• October 2 - 3rd ODI - 3:30 PM IST - Karachi
• October 5 - 1st T20I - 7:00 PM IST - Lahore
• October 7 - 2nd T20I - 7:00 PM IST - Lahore
• October 9 - 3rd T20I - 7:00 PM IST - Lahore

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This tour marks a fresh start for Pakistan cricket. After failing to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, the Pakistan team faced a lot of flak. The team appointed Misbah-ul-Haq as their new coach and has shown faith in captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. 

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The Sri Lankan team visited Pakistan in 2009 when they were attacked in Lahore. Since then, the cricketing fraternity of the world has refused to play cricket in Pakistan. The Pakistan team has played in the UAE under the moniker of their 'home' even when it is not. Reports state that with this tour, the Pakistan board aims at bringing Test cricket back to the country. The process has not gone smoothly as many of the Sri-Lankan players chose to skip the tour citing security reasons. Players like Lasith Malinga and Dimuth Karunaratne are not a part of the tour.

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