The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Bangladesh will visit Pakistan in May for a five-match T20I series, set to take place from 25 May to 3 June.
Initially scheduled under the Future Tours Programme (FTP) to include three ODIs and three T20Is, the series has been restructured. With the Asia Cup on the horizon and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup taking place next year, the PCB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have mutually agreed to swap the ODIs for two extra T20Is in order to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the two major tournaments.
Pakistan and Bangladesh will be played across two venues — Faisalabad and Lahore. Notably, international cricket returns to Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium after a long gap of 17 years, with its last international match being an ODI between the same two sides back in April 2008.
The opening two games of the series will be held in Faisalabad on 25 and 27 May. The action will then shift to Lahore, where the remaining three matches will take place at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium on 30 May, 1 June, and 3 June.
“The series, which is part of the Future Tour Programme (FTP), 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,” PCB said in a statement.
Here’s a more detailed look at the itinerary:
- 25 May – 1st T20I, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
- 27 May – 2nd T20I, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
- 30 May – 3rd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
- 1 June – 4th T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
- 3 June – 5th T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore