Lahore's toxic winter haze has claimed another sporting fixture.
The Pakistan Cricket Board stepped in on Tuesday to yank the second Test against Sri Lanka out of Lahore, shifting the contest to Rawalpindi as hazardous smog engulfed the city. The dates remain locked. Both sides will take the field from November 17 to 21 on the exact schedule mapped out months ago—only the backdrop changes.
Rawalpindi now shoulders the entire series.
With the ground already locked in to host the opening clash, local ground staff must prepare for back-to-back red-ball marathons across two weeks. Ground authorities faced little choice. Heavy blankets of smoke and industrial dust have settled over vast stretches of Pakistan in recent weeks, choking visibility and triggering severe health hazards across Punjab.
Lahore sits at the epicenter of the crisis. Swiss air monitoring group IQAir currently ranks Lahore as the most polluted major city on the planet, with air toxicity levels crossing dangerous thresholds daily.
This is not the first time air quality has torn up cricket fixtures in Pakistan. Smog has routinely wrecked winter scheduling, forcing organizers to scramble for alternative venues with clearer skies.
| Year | Opponent | Original Venue | Relocated Venue | Series Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Zimbabwe | Lahore | Rawalpindi | Limited-Overs Series |
| 2022 | New Zealand | Multan | Karachi | Test Match |
| Current | Sri Lanka | Lahore | Rawalpindi | Second Test (Nov 17–21) |
In November 2020, the board shifted a limited-overs rubber against Zimbabwe away from Lahore to Rawalpindi under near-identical circumstances. Two years later, in December 2022, dense winter smog in Multan forced officials to push a Test against New Zealand south to Karachi's coastal breezes.
Both squads now shift their complete operational focus to Rawalpindi, where the opening Test gets underway before the relocated finale seals the series on November 21.