Pak-India cricket matches schedule

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the schedule for the itinerary of India's first test tour to Pakistan in 15 years, according to which, Indian team will play a one-day warm-up game, five one-day internationals and three test matches between March 11 and April 17, 2004.
The one-day warm up game will be played on March 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, while the first one-day international will be played on March 13 at the National Stadium, Karachi. The second and third one-day matches will be played on March 16 and 19 at Rawalpindi and Peshawar, respectively, while fourth and fifth one-day matches will be played on March 21 and March 24, at Lahore.
The first test match will start on March 28 at Multan and second will by played at Lahore from April 5, while third test at Rawalpindi from April 13.
Meanwhile, PCB Chief Executive Ramiz Raja, in a statement, said he felt honoured and delighted to announce India's first test tour to Pakistan in nearly 15 years, adding: "I am confident that it will be a great series in which Pakistani public will extend their traditional respect and hospitality to the visitors."
He also said the one-day (ODI) series will be played before the tests because of political reasons, adding: "The BCCI requested us for the change of format because of the expected elections in India in April."
The BCCI argued that if the ODIs were played in the second half of the series, the public will lose interest in the matches, he added.
"As regard Karachi and Peshawar which will not be hosting test matches, I will say here that the confidence of the touring teams has not fully restored in the two centres. Moreover, had we pressed harder for tests in Karachi and Peshawar, the tour might have been called off", Ramiz pointed out.
He said the tour was delayed because of several reasons and one of them was certainly the visit of the three-men BCCI delegation that was here last week, adding: "But we sent two proposed itineraries according to which the tour was to start from March 5. Now on our request, the arrival of the Indian team has been delayed for five days so that we can get the breathing space to complete our logistical, ticketing and upgradation work on time."
Pakistan cricket selectors have revised the probables list in view of the change in the format of the forthcoming series between Pakistan and India. They have released Bazid Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal and Shadab Kabir, and have instructed them to play in domestic first class matches. Shahid Afridi, Saleem Elahi, Imran Nazir and Naveed Latif have replaced them.