
BD cricket team to tour Pakistan from 21st
LAHORE: The Bangladesh cricket team has been given the go ahead by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) tour Pakistan.
Following heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, the BCB had sought permission from its government before confirming the tour, which has allowed, the sources said, adding: 'The Pakistan-Bangladesh series will go ahead as per the original schedule. The series is set to begin on May 27 and will comprise five T20 matches. All matches are scheduled to take place in Faisalabad and Lahore.'
There are no security concerns in Pakistan and the series will take place across both scheduled venues, the sources added.
Moreover, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has joined Lahore Qalandars for the remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 10) starting today.
Shakib had replaced New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell in the squad, who is unavailable for the rest of the tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced the schedule for the remaining fixtures of PSL X. According to the schedule, league matches will take place in Rawalpindi, while the playoff round will be staged in Lahore. The final of PSL X is scheduled to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on May 25.
The Pakistan-Bangladesh series is part of the Future Tour Programme (FTP). The series was originally consisted of three ODIs and three T20Is. However, with the ICC Men's T20 World Cup scheduled for next year, both the boards have mutually agreed to replace the ODIs with two additional T20Is.
The five-match T20I series will be played in Faisalabad and Lahore from May 25 to June 3. Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, which successfully hosted the inaugural Champions One-Day Cup in September last year and National T20 Cup last month, will stage the first and second T20Is of the series, scheduled on May 25 and 27, respectively. Iqbal Stadium, which has previously hosted 24 Tests and 16 ODIs between 1978 and 2008, will welcome back international cricket after a 17-year hiatus. The historic venue's last international fixture was an ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan in April 2008.
Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium will host the remaining three T20Is, scheduled on May 30, June 1 and 3. All five matches will begin at 8pm.
Bangladesh team will arrive on 21st May and will undergo training sessions at the Iqbal Stadium from May 22 to 24.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Express Tribune
13 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Pak to make two changes for BD tour
The Pakistan team is expected to have two new additions for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series, which is likely to take place in July. According to reports, left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi and spinner Sufiyan Muqeem are likely to return to the national side. Shaheen last featured in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in March this year, where his performance was below expectations — taking just two wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 10.23. Sufiyan, who also played in the same series, appeared in only one match but impressed with two wickets at a remarkable economy rate of just 3.00. Meanwhile, the door remains open for star batter Babar Azam regarding his inclusion in the national squad, as he has reportedly been assured of future opportunities. The preliminary schedule for Pakistan's T20I tour of Bangladesh has been finalised, with the team expected to arrive in Dhaka on July 18, sources confirmed on June 1. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has drafted the initial itinerary and shared it with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The T20I series will commence on July 20, followed by the second and third matches on July 22 and 24, respectively. All three matches are scheduled to be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. This tour is not part of the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP). The series was arranged following discussions between senior officials of the PCB and BCB on the sidelines of the ICC Champions Trophy preparations, which Pakistan is set to host later this year. For context, Pakistan's white-ball team recently entered a new chapter under the leadership of Mike Hesson, the former New Zealand coach. The 50-year-old made an immediate impact, guiding the team to a 3-0 T20I series whitewash over Bangladesh - Pakistan's first home series victory since December 2021. Hesson holds in-depth discussion with Shaheen The second day of the national training camp in Lahore saw seven players participate in the Wednesday morning session, including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abdullah Shafique, Mehran Mumtaz, Khurram Shehzad, Haider Ali, Khawaja Nafi, and Ahmad Daniyal. Additional training also took place during the afternoon session, under the supervision of head coach Mike Hesson and the coaching staff specialising in bowling, batting, and fielding. According to sources, fast bowler Shaheen Afridi did not participate in ground drills. Having returned from abroad after the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Afridi arrived in Lahore on Wednesday morning, specifically to meet head coach Mike Hesson. The two held an in-depth discussion regarding future plans for the team. In a social media post, Mike Hesson expressed his satisfaction with the session at the National Cricket Academy, calling it an important opportunity for both coaches and players to familiarize themselves with one another. He shared images from the training session, emphasising its significance in building rapport within the squad. Babar Azam had attended the opening day of the camp, while Mohammad Rizwan will join on the final day. The three-day camp, involving 22 of Pakistan's top white-ball cricketers, commenced at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground, as announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday. Players were divided into three groups, reporting to camp on June 3, 4 and 5, respectively. The first groupcomprising Babar Azam, Abbas Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Mirza, Shahid Aziz, and Usman Khantook part in various sessions on Tuesday under the guidance of the national team management, led by Hesson. According to sources, the PCB is using the camp to inform players about the team's future direction, while also assessing their fitness levels and recent performances. Furthermore, head coach Hesson is scheduled to meet with top-performing players individually to discuss the roadmap ahead for Pakistan's white-ball squad. Pakistan's white-ball team recently entered a new chapter under the leadership of Hesson, the former New Zealand coach. The 50-year-old made an immediate impact, guiding the team to a 3-0 T20I series whitewash against Bangladesh — Pakistan's first home series victory since December 2021. Following this series win, the team is expected to take a brief break before potentially returning to Bangladesh next month for another T20I series.


Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
UK visa issues rule Hosein out of West Indies' T20 opener in England
West Indies' left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has been ruled out of the opening match of their three-match Twenty20 series against England after he and fellow Trinidadian Jyd Goolie were unable to meet visa requirements. The first T20 match takes place at the Riverside Ground in Durham on Friday and the players could potentially miss the entire series. West Indies Cricket (CWI) said on Friday that the updated UK visa entry requirements for Trinidad and Tobago citizens, which came into effect on April 23 and May 12 required both players to submit visa applications and attend mandatory in-person appointments. CWI director Miles Bascombe explained that Hosein, who was selected for both the England and Ireland legs of the tour, could not fulfil the new visa requirements in time as he was playing in the Pakistan Super League, which wrapped up late due to the India-Pakistan conflict last month. Goolie, who was a late addition to the squad, 'was unable to secure the required visa waiver, as the transition period for Trinidad and Tobago residents had already expired.' 'These processes are ultimately governed by UK immigration authorities and remain outside of CWI's control,' the board said. 'CWI remains optimistic that the matter will be resolved in the coming days, allowing Hosein to join the squad for the remaining matches.'


Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Australia's Starc comfortable with IPL pullout regardless of repercussion
MELBOURNE: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc is comfortable with his decision to leave the Indian Premier League (IPL) following the India-Pakistan clashes last month regardless of any repercussions, the 35-year-old said. The IPL was suspended on May 9 in the wake of hostilities between the two. It resumed on May 17 after the nuclear-armed neighbours agreed to a ceasefire. While most IPL foreign recruits returned to complete their franchise commitment, the Delhi Capitals duo of Starc and fellow Australian Jake Fraser-McGurk took no further part in the 10-team league. 'I'm comfortable with my decision and how I felt about the whole situation and how it was handled,' Starc told the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday. 'Time will tell with repercussions or how it looks with guys that didn't return. But I've had my questions and concerns leading into that game, and obviously we saw what happened, which played a part in my decision.' Starc was in Dharamsala, near the Pakistan border, for Delhi's May 9 match against the Punjab Kings. The contest was abandoned midway through, although league organisers blamed it on a floodlights failure. 'Jake and I chose not to (return). So it was a very individual decision, and I'm happy to live with whatever comes of that,' Starc said. He opted out of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan earlier this year citing personal reasons and has skipped the IPL more than once to preserve himself for international cricket. Marsh back to skipper Australia in Windies T20s, Cummins and Starc rested The left-arm quick said he withdrew from the remainder of the IPL because of the extraordinary circumstances. 'I'm still heavily committed to the Delhi group, and I'm not someone that's gone into tournaments and pulled out after being picked up in an auction or whatever that looks like,' Starc said. 'These are different circumstances … I had a discussion back home then came to a decision, and whatever comes from that I'm comfortable with that and we move forward.'