First ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka abandoned due to rain

Rain played spoilsport during first One-day International (ODI) between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, at the National Stadium in Karachi, as the match was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Friday. The toss for the match also did not take place as teams and officials waited for conditions to be suitable for play. 

According to Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz, rain is expected to continue till Wednesday evening, with intermittent heavy and moderate showers

Earlier, parts of the port city had received unexpected rain after a sweltering heatwave that persisted over the last couple of days.

The rain also caused the humidity level to drop and turned the weather mildly pleasant.

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The Islanders are touring Pakistan for a three-match ODI and T20I series, respectively, with the first ODI scheduled to take place on Friday, September 27, 2019. 

The remaining ODIs will also be in Karachi on Sunday and Wednesday.

The T20I series will take place in Lahore, on October 5, 7 and 9.

Following a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus during a Test match in Lahore in March 2009, a majority of international teams have refused to tour the South Asian country.

The tour has been seen as another step towards reviving international cricket in Pakistan after years of isolation.

Pakistan, forced to play home matches in the neutral venues of the United Arab Emirates, convinced Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to send their team, assuring them of stringent security with 2,000 personnel guarding the teams around the hotel and stadium.

Ten top Sri Lankan players, including their ODI captain Dimuth Karunaratne and former captains Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, withdrew from the tour.

The tour was stalled after SLC received threats of possible terror attacks on their team in Pakistan before getting the all-clear last week.