Pakistan, Bangladesh to practice at stadium for Rawalpindi Test today

RAWALPINDI (92 News) – Preparations for the first test of the series between Pakistan and Bangladesh, both the teams will practice at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday. The trophy of the series will also be displayed, while Bangladeshi head coach Russell Domingo says his team will rely on their batsmen in the Rawalpindi Test. ICC finalized match officials for Rawalpindi Test as Richie Richardson will return to Pakistan as a match referee when he officiates the ICC World Test Championship fixture between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The match will be commenced on Friday, in Rawalpindi as the ICC confirmed the match officials’ appointments. According to an official press release by the PCB, Richardson’s Playing Control Team includes Nigel LIong and Chris Gaffaney as on-field umpires, Marais Erasmus as TV umpire and Shozab Raza as the fourth umpire. Richardson last toured Pakistan in September 2017 for the three ICC World XI T20Is at Lahore – which was also his first visit to the country as a match official. The former West Indian cricketer toured Pakistan six times as a player and featured in six Tests and 21 ODIs between 1985 and 1996. This is the first instance that Gaffaney and Erasmus will tour Pakistan, while Llong, who has officiate six ODIs across Karachi (3), Lahore (2), and Multan (1), will return after more than a decade. He last stood as an on-field umpire in Pakistan during the ODI series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in January 2009. The first Test of the two-match series will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 7-11 February. Match officials’ appointments 7-11 February – 1st Test. Nigel Llong and Chris Gaffaney (on-field), Marais Erasmus (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire); Sir Richie Richardson (match referee)