PCB announces schedule for Pakistan-Bangladesh T20I series

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday officially confirmed that Bangladesh team will tour Pakistan in May for a five-match T20 International (T20I) series.

Originally scheduled as part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) to include three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20Is, the series format has been revised.

With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup set to take place next year, both boards have mutually agreed to replace the ODIs with two additional T20Is to better prepare their teams for the mega event.

The T20I series will be played at two venues — Faisalabad and Lahore — from 25 May to 3 June.

Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, which recently hosted the inaugural Champions One-Day Cup in September and the National T20 Cup last month, will stage the first two matches on 25 and 27 May.

A historic ground, Iqbal Stadium will return to the international cricket scene after a 17-year hiatus. 

Its most recent international match was a One Day International (ODI) between the Men in Green and the Bengal Tigers in April 2008. Between 1978 and 2008, the venue hosted 24 Test matches and 16 ODIs.

The remaining three matches will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on 30 May, 1 June, and 3 June. All five matches are scheduled to start at 8:00 PM local time.

The Bangladesh squad is expected to arrive in Pakistan on 21 May and will train at Iqbal Stadium from 22 to 24 May.

Historically, Pakistan has dominated the T20I encounters between the two sides, winning 16 out of 19 matches, while Bangladesh has managed three victories.

Series schedule in Pakistan

• 21 May – Bangladesh men’s team arrival
• 25 May – First T20I at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad (8pm local time)
• 27 May – Second T20I at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad (8pm local time)
• 30 May – Third T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (8pm local time)
• 1 June – Fourth T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (8pm local time)
• 3 June – Fifth T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (8pm local time)