COLOMBO: The One-day International series of Pakistan’s tour to Sri Lanka this year has been scrapped with just two Tests now scheduled to be played between the two sides in July, ESPNcricinfo reported on Monday.

As per the Future Tours Programme, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were due to play three ODIs but Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva stated that it had been decided to hold only the Tests, which are part of the ICC World Test Championship, as the ODIs did not count towards points for the ICC World Cup Super League.

“The ODIs wouldn’t have been a part of the World Super League, so we decided against playing them,” De Silva was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Cricket Board, meanwhile, confirmed to Dawn.com that the ODIs had been scrapped at the request of SLC, which is looking at holding the Lanka Premier League Twenty20 tournament on earlier dates.

“The ODIs are not part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League and SLC is facing financial challenges, so the PCB accepted the request,” the PCB spokesperson was quoted as saying.

The SLC is concerned over player burnout prior to the T20 World Cup later in the year, with Pakistan’s visit sandwiched between Australia s tour of Sri Lanka in June and the Lanka Premier League set for August, as well as the Asia Cup soon after in September.

Sri Lanka are currently in Bang­ladesh for a two-match Test series due to start on May 15.

The exact dates of Sri Lanka’s Tests against Pakistan are yet to be finalised but the PCB spokesperson said that the itinerary was being worked out and the matches would be played in the agreed upon window from July 5 to August 9.

Sri Lanka is suffering from a worsening economic crisis. Months of blackouts and acute shortages of food, fuel and medicines have caused widespread suffering across the South Asian island, which is enduring its worst-ever economic downturn.

Published in Dawn,May 10th, 2022