Pakistan will be hosting Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between December 2013 and January 2014 for a bilateral cricket series that includes three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty-20s. The series, the second bilateral contest between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the UAE, will be played in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi between December 2013 and January 2014.
A PCB spokesman said here on Friday that Sri Lanka will be playing a full cricket series against Pakistan in its return bilateral tour 2013-14, which the Pakistan Cricket Board is hosting in the United Arab Emirates-with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah being the venues. The tour itinerary has been approved after consultation between the Pakistan Cricket Board and its Sri Lankan counterpart. The tour commences on December 7, 2013 with the arrival of the Sri Lankan squad at Dubai, and will continue up to January 21, 2014, the spokesman added.
The T-20s and ODIs have been scheduled before the Test series. The T-20s will be played on December 11 and 13 in Dubai, while Sharjah will host the first ODI on December 18. The last two ODIs will be played in Abu Dhabi. The first Test has been scheduled for December 31 in Dubai, while Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will host the second and third Tests, from January 8 and January 16.
It may be recalled that since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009, Pakistan have been forced to play their home series overseas, with UAE being the preferred venue. The last time the two sides played in the UAE in 2011, Pakistan won the ODIs 4-1 and won the Test and T-20 series 1-0. Pakistan enjoyed little success on their tour of Sri Lanka in June and July 2012-the last bilateral series between the teams-losing the Tests (1-0) and ODIs (3-1), while the T-20 series was tied.
Fixtures
1st T-20I: December 11, Dubai
2nd T-20I: December 13, Dubai
1st ODI: December 18, Sharjah
2nd ODI: December 20, Dubai
3rd ODI: December 22, Sharjah
4th ODI: December 25, Abu Dhabi
5th ODI: December 27, Abu Dhabi
1st Test: December 31-January 4, Dubai
2nd Test: January 8-12, Abu Dhabi
3rd Test: January 16-20, Sharjah