Sharjah to host Lanka-Pakistan Test

Sharjah will host a Test after nine years after Pakistan and Sri Lanka reached an agreement to play the third Test of their series at the venue.
 
Sharjah last hosted a Test in October 2002 – between Pakistan and Australia – but has been overlooked from holding international matches since 2003 due to match-fixing allegations.
However, with both countries agreeing on playing in Sharjah, the venue, once renowned for hosting epic Pakistan-India matches, will see top-flight cricket again.
 
“We’ve finally confirmed that Pakistan will play a Test in Sharjah,” Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Chief Operating Officer Dilawar Mani told The Express Tribune. “We offered Sharjah at the very beginning – apart from Dubai and Abu Dhabi – but it was necessary for both sides to agree playing in Sharjah. We’re now delighted to know that it has happened.”
 
Sharjah cricket stadium enjoys the record of having hosted the highest number of One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and is currently undergoing renovation to bring it up to the required standard.
 
“The renovation work is in full swing and we hope to be ready by November 3,” said stadium administrator Mazhar Khan. “The venue was very keen to host a fixture from the two series that Pakistan will be playing. After all, Sharjah has  many Pakistani and Sri Lankan followers who will now be able to watch their teams.”
 
Sri Lanka will play three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 from October 18 to November 25 while England feature in three Tests, four ODIs and three T20s from January 17 to February 27.

Sri Lanka are due to arrive in Abu Dhabi on October 15 and will play the first Test at the Zayed Cricket Stadium from October 18 to 22.

The second Test will take place from October 26 to 30 in Dubai with the third and final match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from November 3 to 7.
 
England will land on January 3 and will play a three-day warm up game on January 11.
 
The first Test will be played in Dubai from January 17 to 21 with the second Test in Abu Dhabi from January 25-29. They return to Dubai for the third Test from February 3-7.
 
They play a one-day warm up game in Abu Dhabi on February 10 followed by the first two ODIs at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on February 13 and 15.
 
The next two ODIs will be in Dubai on February 13 and 15. They play two T20s in Dubai on February 23 and 25, and return to Abu Dhabi for the final T20 on February 27.

Sharjah was once a popular venue for neutral ODIs and tri-series and has hosted 200 one-day internationals, 24 of those between India and Pakistan.

However, the venue received a blow when India, who had played 72 one-dayers in Sharjah, stopped playing there.

The ground hosted its debut Test in 2002, but after 2003 did not have any international cricket till it was named as Afghanistan's home ground in 2010, and hosted two ODIs between them and Canada.

The stadium had disintegrated in the absence of top-flight cricket but is now being brought back up to top standard.
 

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