LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced elaborate broadcast plans and commentary panel for the historic Pakistan versus Sri Lanka series which kicks off on Friday in Karachi with the first of the three One-day Internationals at the National Stadium.

The live action will be available to fans across the globe. The three ODIs in Karachi and the three T20Is in Lahore will be broadcast on Sony Ten (Indian sub-continent), Ten Cricket (Singapore, Hong Kong, Middle East and Northbound Africa and Caribbean), Astro (Mala­ysia), Willow (USA), Sony UK (UK and Europe) Fox (Australia), DAZN (Canada) and Super Sports (Sub Saharan Africa including South Africa), said a spokesman of the PCB here.

A star-studded panel of commentators which inclu­des Alan Wilkins, renowned cricket broadcaster, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja, electronic media veteran Sri Lankan commentator Roshan Abeysinghe and Pakistan’s ICC Hall of Famer Wasim Akram will take the viewers through the games.

Wasim Akram, looking ahead to the series, said: “This is the first time a cricket team will be in Pakistan for two weeks. It is a surreal feeling to play cricket with your home crowd backing you. The fans should come out in large numbers which, along with sending out a rousing welcome to the Sri Lankans, will help in quashing the negative perception about the country.”

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz said: “Watching the fans scream and chant in the stands not only boosts the players but also make commentary an exciting experience. Over the past few years, I have thoroughly enjo­yed commentating in Kara­chi and Lahore and I know that the passion and energy is going to be the same when the first ball is bowled on Friday.”

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2019