Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play a three Test series, five One-day internationals and a T20 match in the United Arab Emirates from October 18 to November 26 this year, the Pakistan cricket Board said on Tuesday. The series will also see the revival of Test cricket at the Sharjah stadium after 11 years after Pakistan and Australia last played Tests at the desert venue in 2002.
Pakistan has been forced to play its home series against Sri Lanka in the UAE after the Lankans refused to tour Pakistan because of security concerns. The PCB announcing the itinerary of the series said the matches would be played at Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi as the venues were cost effective. "We had a choice of neutral venues but we opted for UAE because it allows us to manage things smoothly," chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad said.