Sri Lanka to leave Pakistan tour midway due to political protests ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan and Sri Lanka flags
Pakistan and Sri Lanka flags

Highlights:

Sri Lanka A to return home due to midway political unrest in Pakistan.

Pakistan are scheduled to host Champions Trophy 2025.

Sri Lanka A who are currently in Pakistan for the series against Pakistan Shaheens will return home midway due to the intense political unrest in Islamabad. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday confirmed that they have postponed the last two ODI matches Pakistan Shaheens and Sri Lanka A after consulting with Sri Lanka Cricket Board. 

The matches that are postponed were scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi on Wednesday and Friday after Pakistan Shaheens beat the visitors by 108 runs in the first game in Islamabad on Monday.

The PCB said the two boards will work together to finalise new dates to complete the series.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party of the former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan started a protest march towards main Islamabad on Sunday. There have been incidents of clashes and violence reported between protestors and forces of law enforcement and security.

The federal interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, also the chairman of the PCB, had announced that the army had been called in to quell the unrest.
 

ICC to host Board meeting for Champions Trophy 2025

The upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to take place in Pakistan but the Indian government denied sending their team to the neighbouring nation for the marquee event citing players safety. Because of India's strong take ICC has not yet announced the squad for the marquee event. 

The tension between BCCI and PCB continues after India denied to travel to Pakistan and a potential hybrid model. The schedule announcement will clear a lot of air around this long-going tussle and reveal what's the final decision made by cricket's top governing body.