ICC Test Championship: Security delegation from Sri Lanka to visit Pakistan, will take decision to send team after visit

A two-member security delegation of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)will reach here on Wednesday to decide if it is safe for its national team to tour Pakistan in October for a round of the ICC World Test Championship.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani said that the Sri Lankan delegation will visit the grounds and hotels where the teams will stay in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad besides meeting the board, police and security officials.

He said the Sri Lankan board has said it would take a final decision on sending its team to Pakistan for the two-Test series based on the report by its security delegation.

"The Sri Lankan security delegation will be in Karachi on 6th August and then travel to Lahore and Islamabad," he confirmed.

Top test teams stopped touring Pakistan after terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009. The Sri Lankan team was in the middle of a Test match and was going to the Gaddafi stadium when its bus came under attack.

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Since then no Test matches have been played in Pakistan neither a full bilateral series although Zimbabwe, Kenya, ICC World Eleven, Sri Lanka and West Indies have come for short visits to Lahore and Karachi to play limited over games.

Mani said he was confident the Sri Lankan board would give due consideration to PCB's request to play the ICC Test Championship matches in Pakistan.

Mani said that the PCB's thrust was now to convince other boards to send their teams to Pakistan and said the top officials of Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board will also be visiting the country soon. 

Schedule of ICC Test Championship for Pakistan

• October 2019: Two home Tests against Sri Lanka
• November-December 2019: Two away Tests in Australia
• January-February 2020: Two home Tests against Bangladesh
• July-August 2020: Three away Tests in England
• December 2020: Two away Tests in New Zealand
• January-February 2021: Two home Tests against South Africa
• July-August 2019: Five Ashes Tests at home against Australia
• December 2019-January 2020: Four away Tests in South Africa
• March 2020: Two away Tests in Sri Lanka
• June-July 2020: Three home Tests against Windies
• July-August 2020: Three home Tests against Pakistan
• January-February 2021: Five away Tests in India

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(With inputs from PTI)