No play before lunch in first Pakistan-Bangladesh Test at Rawalpindi Stadium

No play was possible before lunch in the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh on Wednesday due to wet patches in the outfield of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from overnight rain.

Umpires Richard Kettleborough of England and Adrian Holdstock from South Africa performed two inspections of the ground and will conduct a third at 12:00pm, which coincides with the scheduled lunch break, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a post on X.

The chances of play starting before lunch improved as the sun came out with clear blue skies over the stadium.

The two-match series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) third cycle (2023-2025) contested by nine teams. Pakistan is currently sixth and Bangladesh is eighth on the table.

The second Test will also be played in Rawalpindi, from August 30, after being moved from Karachi because of construction work at the stadium.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Aamer Jamal has missed out on a place in Pakistan’s playing XI for the first fixture of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which is set to be played from Wednesday.

Aamer, who impressed in his Test debut series against Australia during the national side’s tour Down Under in December-January, was not only ruled out from the first game on Monday but also dropped from the Pakistan squad.

Initially included in the roster “subject to fitness clearance”, Aamer “has been advised to work on his fitness at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore” as he recovers from “a back injury which he sustained while playing county cricket this year”, the PCB had said.