FAISALABAD: International cricket returns to Faisalabad after 17 years when new ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi leads Pakistan in three matches against an under-strength South Africa from Tuesday.
Iqbal Stadium last hosted an ODI in 2008, before the attack on Sri Lanka's team bus the following year forced Pakistan to play home matches in the United Arab Emirates for six years.
Since international cricket gradually returned to Pakistan in 2015, major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan have hosted foreign teams. But Faisalabad was overlooked due to the lack of proper facilities, which have improved over the last couple of years.
“It is exciting to see international cricket return to Faisalabad,” Afridi said on Monday. “The team played good cricket in the T20 series and we aim to carry that momentum into the ODIs.”
Pakistan drew the Test series against South Africa 1-1, and defeated the Proteas in the T20s 2-1 after winning back-to-back matches in Lahore.
