LAHORE, The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has moved the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka from Lahore to Rawalpindi because of worsening smog in the Punjab capital.
The board announced the change on Tuesday. The match was due to be played in Lahore and will now take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The dates remain November 17 to 21.
In its statement, the PCB said the Test had been relocated “due to prevailing weather conditions”. A PCB spokesperson separately told local media that the decision followed rising smog levels in Lahore.
Rawalpindi will now host both Tests of the series. The two teams are currently playing the first Test there. At the close of the second day on Tuesday, Pakistan had declared their first innings on 434 for nine, and Sri Lanka were 114 for three, trailing by 320 runs.
The second Test is part of the World Test Championship. Rawalpindi also hosted three Twenty20 Internationals between the two sides last month.
Lahore’s Air Quality
Local media reports said Lahore’s Air Quality Index had crossed 301, which falls in the hazardous category. The PCB statement did not cite a specific reading.
Lahore’s smog typically worsens in the colder months, and it has disrupted cricket before. In October 2020, the PCB moved three T20Is against Zimbabwe from Lahore to Rawalpindi for the same reason.
The PCB has not said whether ticketing or other arrangements for the match will change.
