PCB shifts all games to Rawalpindi amid security threats following Islamabad bomb blast

Published - 14 Nov 2025, 18:36 IST | Updated - 14 Nov 2025, 18:52 IST

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a surprising change to the venues of the upcoming T20I tri-series involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Earlier, only the first couple of games in the seven-match assignment were allotted to the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, while the next five games, including the summit clash, were supposed to be held in Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.

However, keeping in mind the security threats that follow the recent bomb blasts in the city of Islamabad, PCB has now kept all the games reserved to Rawalpindi. This move has been made to minimize travel for all the teams, while also making sure that there is not much change in how the series was supposed to be played.

“All seven T20I matches, including the final, will now take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi,” PCB said in an official statement on Friday, November 14.

1st T20I — Pakistan vs Zimbabwe - November 18, Rawalpindi

2nd T20I — Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe - November 20, Rawalpindi

3rd T20I — Pakistan vs Sri Lanka - November 22, Rawalpindi

4th T20I — Pakistan vs Zimbabwe - November 23, Rawalpindi

5th T20I — Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe - November 25, Rawalpindi

6th T20I — Pakistan vs Sri Lanka - November 27, Rawalpindi

Earlier in the day, the PCB had also provided a full-fledged security convoy to the Sri Lankan cricket team, who were on their way from the team hotel to the stadium for the second One-Day International (ODI) against Pakistan. The entire route was sanitized, with police vans and security personnel accompanying the squadron throughout to ensure there were no safety challenges en route to the venue for the match.

Watch: Sri Lankan cricketers provided with VVIP security

The PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had ensured all the visiting players and the support staff of an extremely safe environment for the proceedings of the schedule for the One-Dayers as well as the tri-series that follows.