The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) moved the second Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test from Lahore to Rawalpindi on Tuesday as smog worsened in the Punjab capital. Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host the match from November 17 to 21. The venue change leaves the dates intact and gives Rawalpindi both matches in the two-Test series.
“The second Test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, originally scheduled to be played in Lahore from November 17 to 21, has been relocated to Rawalpindi due to prevailing weather conditions,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said in a post on X.
Mir cited rising smog levels and concerns about deteriorating air quality. The PCB had originally picked Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium for the second Test. Rawalpindi was already hosting the series opener, which began on November 9 and runs through November 13. Both matches count towards the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27.
Lahore smog pushes air quality readings above 600
Lahore had endured roughly 10 days of severe smog by the time the board announced the switch. IQAir’s live ranking put Lahore first among the world’s most polluted major cities on Monday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 590. A separate hourly reading on the same platform reached 647. The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency reported a hazardous reading of 421.
Second test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka relocated from Lahore to Rawalpindi
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 10, 2026
Smog has disrupted Pakistan’s home cricket schedule before. In 2020, air quality concerns prompted a move from Lahore to Rawalpindi for a limited-overs series against Zimbabwe. In 2022, a Test against New Zealand moved from Multan to Karachi over similar concerns.
Pakistan take control on day two of first Test
Pakistan resumed at 281 for five on Tuesday and declared their first innings at 434 for nine. Saud Shakeel top-scored with 93 off 199 balls, hitting nine fours before falling to Asitha Fernando. Debutant Arafat Minhas added a half-century. Another debutant, seamer Saqib Khan, took two wickets in Sri Lanka’s reply.
Bad light ended play with Sri Lanka at 114 for three in their first innings, 320 runs behind. Kamindu Mendis remained unbeaten on 40, while Dhananjaya de Silva finished the day on 22. The visitors had seven wickets in hand heading into day three.
Read More: Farhan’s First Home Captaincy Test: Pakistan Face Sri Lanka on Friday
Sri Lanka have been touring Pakistan since early October. Pakistan won the three-match T20I series 2–1 at Rawalpindi, despite losing the final game by eight wickets. The hosts then won the ODI tri-series, which also featured England. They chased 326 to beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the October 31 final at Gaddafi Stadium. Fakhar Zaman scored 127, and Pakistan reached the target with nine balls to spare.
