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Pakistan Gearing Up To Host Zimbabwe And Also Start Domestic Cricket Season In Bio-secure Bubble

Pakistan will host Zimbabwe at home in October-November apart from starting off with their domestic season in a bio-secure environment to counter the COVID-19 threat

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Pakistan Gearing Up To Host Zimbabwe And Also Start Domestic Cricket Season In Bio-secure Bubble
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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to not only host Zimbabwe for a series in October-November but also launch its domestic season from next month in a bio secure bubble.

"Dates are being finalised with Zimbabwe but tentatively they will come to Pakistan around October 10 or 15 and first remain in a two weeks quarantine. They will have COVID-19 tests before starting their cricket activities from early November," a PCB source said.

The PCB is busy preparing the protocols for the bio-secure bubble in line with government SOPs, the source said.

"The bio secure bubble will be applicable for both the international series against Zimbabwe, probably the remaining four matches of the Pakistan Super League 5 and the entire domestic season," he said.

Zimbabwe was originally scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20 internationals but they have now requested the Pakistan Cricket Board to arrange a few extra matches for them.

"Their ODIs are part of the ICC Super League Championship but they want to play some extra matches as well," the source said.

"Pakistan’s next international activity after the series against Zimbabwe will be a tour to New Zealand in December after which they will host South Africa and then the Pakistan Super League will be organised followed by another tour to England to play a ODI series as part of the Super League," the source added.

The PCB plans to launch its domestic season from mid-September with the national T20 Championship being held in Rawalpindi and Multan followed by the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first class championship with all matches in Karachi because of the COVID-19 protocols.