LAHORE, Jan 14 The Sri Lankan cricket team`s tour to Pakistan, scheduled to commence from Jan 18 for three ODIs, saw yet another change on Wednesday as the itinerary was reduced from ten days to seven for the first leg.

Earlier, the Sri Lankans were to play its first ODI in Karachi on Jan 21, the second in Lahore on Jan 24 and the third in Multan on Jan 27. However, according to the new schedule which has been finalised between the two boards on Wednesday, Karachi will host back-to-back matches without any rest day on Jan 20 and 21. The third and final ODI will be organised in Lahore on Jan 24 as Multan has been excluded.

“We received a request from Sri Lanka Cricket asking to wrap-up the tour tour by Jan 25 and the PCB accepted it at once. The new itinerary has been finalised by the consent of the two boards,” said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Salim Altaf.

Earlier, the third ODI was shifted from Faisalabad to Multan on the advice of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. The PCB, however, informed the Prime Minister about the new development and with his permission eliminated Multan from the itinerary.

Though Salim did not give any reason behind the Sri Lankan request, it seems the visitors are keen to wrap up the Pakistan leg in order to host India soon afterwards.

In the second leg, Sri Lanka will again tour Pakistan from Feb 14 to play two Tests matches and a three-day warm-up. But as Sri Lanka are likely to hosts India from Feb 1 to 15 to play five ODIs and one Twenty20, some changes in the itinerary of the second phase could also be made.

Sri Lanka has emerged as a big beneficiary of India`s cancelled tour of Pakistan which was scheduled to be held from Jan 4 as both the countries are going through tense political relations following the Nov 26 Mumbai attacks.

“Every thing is going smoothly and the PCB is making top level arrangements for the tour,” Salim said.

It is learnt the PCB had printed the tickets for the first two ODIs, according to the previous schedule (Jan 21, Jan 24) and will now have to get them reprinted for the back-back ODIs in Karachi.

Meanwhile, it has been reliably learnt that the PCB contacted

the Bangladesh Cricket authorities to reschedule the Pakistan

tour, asking the BCB to reallocate the matches in February instead of March.

Sources said the PCB is planning to leave for Bangladesh to complete the five ODI series soon after the three ODIs against Sri Lanka are played. The PCB wants Pakistan team to return from Bangladesh by Feb 15 to face Sri Lanka in the Test series. However, the PCB is awaiting a final reply from Bangladesh.