Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test moved to Rawalpindi due to smog
The second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will now be played in Rawalpindi from November 17 to 21.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has relocated the second Test against Sri Lanka from Lahore to Rawalpindi because of severe smog. Lahore's Air Quality Index reached 421, classified as hazardous.
Key takeaways
- The second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka moves from Lahore to Rawalpindi
- Dates remain unchanged from November 17 to 21
- Lahore's Air Quality Index touched 421, a hazardous level
- The first Test is already underway in Rawalpindi
- Pakistan scored 434-9 declared; Sri Lanka closed day two on 114-3
The Pakistan Cricket Board has relocated the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka from Lahore to Rawalpindi because of severe smog, the board announced on Tuesday. The match remains scheduled for November 17 to 21, with no change to the dates. The fixture is part of the World Test Championship.
The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency reported that the Air Quality Index in Lahore had touched the hazardous level of 421.
Cricinfo said Lahore had the worst air quality of any city in the world on November 10, according to IQAir, a Swiss technology company monitoring air quality. Lahore is currently engulfed in severe seasonal smog, which affects parts of India and Pakistan between October and December.
Over the past week, it has frequently swapped places with Delhi for the poorest air quality globally.
Rawalpindi will host back-to-back Test matches this month. The two teams are currently playing the first Test in Rawalpindi. Pakistan declared its first innings on 434-9, and Sri Lanka closed day two on 114-3, trailing by 320 runs. Last month, Rawalpindi also hosted three T20s between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Cricinfo understands the broadcasters had expressed reservations about the quality of the broadcast in Lahore, should the game go ahead in severe smog conditions. Earlier this week, as air quality in Lahore worsened, they were told not to make arrangements for travel to Lahore for the second Test, with the PCB preparing to make a public decision on the relocation of the Test.
The decision is a blow to the PCB's efforts to expand the cricketing season in Lahore to include early autumn.
If the second Test had proceeded at the Gaddafi, it would have been the first time since 2007 that an international match had been held in the city later in the year than November 1.
Hazardous air quality in Punjab, and especially Lahore, has frequently affected cricket in this part of the season. In 2020, a white-ball series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in November was moved from Lahore to Rawalpindi.
In December 2022, a Test against New Zealand was shifted from Multan to Karachi.
Both teams will remain in Rawalpindi for the second Test, which starts on November 17 and ends on November 21.
First Test day two positions
Team | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|
Pakistan | 434-9 | Declared |
Sri Lanka | 114-3 | Trailing by 320 runs |
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