Karachi’s wait goes on for Pakistan Vs. Sri Lanka Match.
Karachi's
First ODI in more than 10 years hasn't even gone as far as the draw. Heavy
rains in the days leading up to this match were already a challenge, and there
were doubts as to whether the outfield would dry out in time. On
Friday, more and more rain was released in the form of large dark clouds,
forming large puddles on the outfield and even making it difficult to inspect
referees once the rain has fallen.
The
national stadium was very saturated with water, the tarpaulins never moving on
a dark Friday afternoon, and shortly before 4:30 p.m., the officials had no
choice but to abandon this match.
Unexpected rain in the city had called this match in doubt 48 hours before the
scheduled start, while the city was beset by the heavy rains of the afternoon
Of the last three days. With a training session canceled on Wednesday and a possible short meeting on Thursday, the place was undercover all this time.
This
afternoon, when perhaps the most torrential rain of the week hit the national stadium,
The cancellation was inevitable. This is not a familiar phenomenon for the city,
this match being the first ODI to be abandoned because of the climate of
Karachi. Weather
Conditions forced the Pakistan Cricket Commission to hand over the second ODI a
day from Sunday to Monday. The final game of the three-game series will be
played as scheduled on Wednesday.
With
more rain expected on the day of the second match - Sunday 29 September - the
Cricket Commission of Pakistan (PCB), in consultation with Sri Lanka
Cricket Commission (SLC), postponed the game until Monday 30 September. Karachi
Will need a lot of sunshine over the weekend to facilitate drying of the
outfield. Sri Lanka's Pakistan tour includes three IDOs and three T20Is.
"The
heavy rains of this week, including Friday afternoon, have left the field
soggy, the basic staff needs at least two full days to prepare the ground for
cricket," a media outlet told the press. "The PCB also announced that
tickets sold for Friday, September 27 would be valid for September 30 or
October 2, while tickets sold for Sunday, September 29 could be used for the
game, September 30 or October 2. Following the PCB's ticketing policy
for the series, the PCB will also allow the refund of all tickets for Friday's
game. "
PCB
International Cricket Programme Director Zakir Khan said: "This week's
heavy off-season rain has forced us to review the schedule of the series. I
thank Sri Lanka Cricket, as well as our host broadcasters, for agreeing to
change the match schedule to avoid further abandonment due to rain in what is
a critical bilateral FTP series for Pakistan. "
Only
a few hundred spectators braved the rain and went to the stadium on Friday.
"We came here to watch the game because Sri Lanka arrived after 10 years,
we were delighted," said cricket fan Anam Salman at the National Stadium.
"We have come a long way in rainy weather, but after coming here, we are
very disappointed ... What can we do? We can just hope for the best for the
rest of the two matches. "
Karachi
Has not hosted an ODI in 10 years since Sri Lanka last played here in 2009. It
is the first time since the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked in Lahore in 2009
That a foreign team will tour Pakistan for two weeks with Karachi.
Accommodation of the three IDOs. The big clubs have avoided Pakistan since the
ambush, which killed eight people and wounded several players.
Another
fan enjoyed the sending of his team to Sri Lanka, despite the withdrawal of 10
Sri Lankan players from the limited series for security reasons. "We must
enjoy Sri Lankan cricket for sending their team after 10 years. We were hoping
to enjoy good cricket, but it's disappointing not to have a match because of
the rain," said Azeem Rahat.
