Rain is threatening to wash out cricket history this week as Sri Lanka face the very real prospect of finishing their tour of Pakistan without playing a single over of cricket.
Unseasonal rain in Karachi washed out the first ODI on Friday and that forced the Pakistan Cricket Board to reschedule the second ODI for Monday instead of Sunday. The third and final match is scheduled at the same venue on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka have had just two training sessions since they arrived in Pakistan last Tuesday where they will also play three Twenty20s in Lahore between October 5-9.
“Even before we came here the preparations were hampered by rain (in Sri Lanka), it seems as if it’s raining in the whole world,” said Sri Lanka coach Rumesh Ratnayake, who played 23 test matches and 70 ODIs for Sri Lanka.
“The prep hasn’t all been that good but that’s not going to be an excuse which I will give because they are all professional players.”
Ten of Sri Lanka’s top players refused to travel to Pakistan for the limited-overs series due to security concerns despite the Pakistan government providing the team with high level security normally reserved for heads of state.
“Even though 10 players aren’t here, the people who have taken their place are aware that they are challenged to do well, it’s for their future also, so hope there won’t be any rain,” Ratnayake added.
Karachi hasn’t hosted an ODI in 10 years since Sri Lanka last played here in 2009. It is the first time since Sri Lanka’s team bus was attacked in Lahore in 2009 that a foreign team has conducted, or attempted to, a two-week tour of Pakistan.
Major teams have avoided the country since that ambush, which killed eight people and injured several players.
