Dawn
Dawn Pakistan's most widely circulated English language newspaper.

Pakistan to play first Test at Madras

By Our Sports Correspondent
13 January 1999


LAHORE, Jan 12: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced programme of the Pakistan cricket team tour of India which is scheduled to start from Jan 23.

But the programme was issued without noticing the recent changes made in venues of the first two Tests of the series which was published in national dailies on Tuesday.

Talking to Dawn the PCB Media Advisor Col (retd.) Rafi Nasim said that the board was only issuing the programme which had been approved by the two boards. The Indian cricket authority, he added, had not yet informed the PCB about any fresh changes in the approved itinerary.

He said that any change in the tour programme would be discussed by the PCB before giving it a final approval.

According to the Press report, the first Test which is scheduled to be held from Jan 28 to Feb 1 has been shifted to Chennai from New Delhi. The second Test which is to be played from Feb 4 to 8 now will be played at New Delhi instead of Chennai, the Press report said.

During the tour, Pakistan will also play a Test match against India in the three-nation first Asian Test Championship at Calcutta from Feb 16 to 20. Sri Lanka is the third country, participating in the championship against whom Pakistan will play at Lahore in the championship from March 4 to 8. The final will be played at Dhaka from March 12 to 16.

The three countries will also play one-day tournament from March 19 to April 4.

Following is programme approved by the Pakistan and Indian cricket boards:

Tour matches:

Jan 23 to 25: Three day match against India 'A' at Gwalior. Jan 28 to Feb 1: First Test at Chennai (Madras). Feb 4 to 8: Second Test at New Delhi. Feb 11 to 13: Three-day against President Eleven at Cochin.

Asian Test Championship:

Feb 16 to 20: India vs Pakistan at Calcutta. Feb 25 to March 1: India vs Sri Lanka Colombo. March 4 to 8: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka at Lahore. March 12 to 16: Final at Dhaka.

Triangular one-day tournament:

March 19: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka at Jamshedpur. March 22: India vs Sri Lanka at Nagpur. March 24: India vs Pakistan at Jaipur. March 27: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka at Vizag. March 30: India vs Sri Lanka at Pune. April 2: India vs Pakistan (Day and Night) Šat Mohali. April 4: Final (Day and Night) at Bangalore.

Source: Dawn
Editorial comments can be sent to Dawn at webmaster@dawn.com