PCB Hopeful Of Hosting Full Strength Sri Lankan Team For Test Series

"The indications are that most of the ten players who did not come to Pakistan for the limited over series in Sept-Oct due to security concerns will be part of the Test squad," a PCB source said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is hoping that Sri Lanka's seasoned campaigners, who opted out of the recent one day international series, will be part of the touring side for the upcoming two-match Test series. The PCB announced Rawalpindi and Karachi as venues for two ICC Test Championship matches in December. Pakistan had won the ODI series 2-0 while the Lankans upset the hosts 3-0 in the Twenty20 series.

If the series goes as per schedule, it will be for the first time that a Test series will be hosted by Pakistan in over a decade. "The indications are that most of the ten players who did not come to Pakistan for the limited over series in Sept-Oct due to security concerns will be part of the Test squad," a PCB source said.

The source added that Sri Lankan Board (SLC) has conveyed to the PCB they would confirm the Test tour in a week's time after due approval from their executive committee and government. The source said the SLC had arranged a briefing by some of the players and officials who came to Pakistan with players who pulled out of the white ball tour. "Apparently most of these 10 players were satisfied with the briefing given to them by their teammates and officials about the security situation in Pakistan and the arrangements made for them. Most of them have shown willingness to play the Test series," he said. The 10 players included Test and ODI captain Dimuth Karunaratne, senior players Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Angelo Matthews, Thisara Perara, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva and Suranga Lakmal.