Pakistan vs West Indies: ODIs moved from Rawalpindi to Multan

Pakistan has relocated their home series against West Indies from Rawalpindi to Multan. The decision has been taken in light of political uncertainty in Islamabad - the country's capital, adjacent to Rawalpindi. However, the fixtures and schedule remain unchanged. The three ODIs in the Pakistan vs West Indies series are a part of the Cricket World Cup Super League and are to be played on June 8,10, and 12.

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The games were originally slated for Rawalpindi, but the PCB had kept Multan as a backup option. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan potentially planning protest rallies in the capital over the coming days. The original protest rally took place on May 25. But, there remains a significant possibility of further such rallies over the coming days.

Multan remained the only viable option, with Lahore and Karachi's pitches being relaid. Meanwhile, the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar undergoing renovation work.

Multan is situated in southern Punjab and is among the hottest cities in the country. The temperatures in the high 40s are expected on matchdays. Pakistan has never hosted elite cricket at this time of year due to the summer heat. However, nearly all high-level competitions including the domestic season played during the winter and spring months between September and April.

Pakistan vs West Indies: The games will start at 4 pm in the afternoon to mitigate the weather conditions

During the summer months, the PCB has mostly held its training camps on the northern side of the country mostly in Abbottabad. Abbottabad is located in the hilly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and experiences relatively milder weather. Last year, the PCB had made an attempt to host a women cricketers' camp in Multan but had to call off the camp due to extreme heat.

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The games will start at 4 pm in the afternoon to mitigate the weather conditions. Pakistan will carry out its training camp in Lahore from June 1-4. However, the squad will move to Multan on June 5. West Indies will arrive in Islamabad as planned on June 6 and will travel to Multan on a charter flight.

The ODIs have been carried over from the series scheduled last December. Only the three T20Is took place in December. Meanwhile, a Covid outbreak in the West Indies camp forced the postponement of the ODIs. There will be no biosecure bubble for the series.