Rawalpindi and Lahore to host Pakistan-Zimbabwe white-ball series

Multan was initially due to host the games, before “logistical and operational challenges” forced a move away from the city in south Punjab

Rawalpindi and Lahore will co-host Zimbabwe’s white-ball tour of Pakistan after “logistical and operational challenges” forced a move away from Multan.

The three-match ODI series will now take place in Rawalpindi, with three T20Is rescheduled for Lahore despite the risk of seasonal fog in November.

The dates for the games remain the same: October 30, November 1 and November 3 for the 50-over matches, followed by November 7, November 8 and November 10 for the T20 fixtures.

“After Multan became unavailable due to logistical and operational reasons, we took the opportunity to revisit the entire schedule and have come up with an itinerary that is suitable for the teams, match officials, broadcasters, event staff and other support agencies,” said PCB director of international cricket Zakir Khan.

“In the meantime, we are also in regular touch with the Meteorological Department and seeking their forecast for smog during November. We will continue to liaise with the Met Office and monitor the situation, and, if required, will make necessary changes.

“The availability of Rawalpindi has ensured there is no uncertainty for our ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches as we aim to collect maximum points from this series to achieve our target of qualifying directly for the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over event.”

Zimbabwe’s 32-man squad is set to arrive in the country on October 20, before quarantining for a week. Former Northamptonshire seamer Blessing Muzarabani, released by the county at the end of the season as a partial consequence of the end to Kolpak status, returns to the international fold.

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