Pakistan’s tour to Sri Lanka surrounded by uncertainty

• Babar Azam-led team completed a three-day warm-up match in Colombo.
• Sri Lanka is in discussions with the IMF after defaulting on $51 billion in foreign debt.
• To cut down on commuting, the government shut down non-essential offices and schools.

Pakistan’s visit to Sri Lanka is uncertain in light of the island nation’s declaration of a state of emergency on Wednesday.

Prior to their two-match Test series against the home team, the Babar Azam-led team just completed a three-day warm-up match.

No decision has been made to cancel the tour, according to a PCB official. “PCB and Sri Lanka Cricket are always in contact,” the official added.

“The series can be delayed if the situation is not under control.”

The first game is scheduled to start on July 16 in Galle, while the second game will start on July 24 in Colombo.

It should be mentioned that following months of widespread protests over an economic crisis, hundreds of people flocked to the prime minister’s office when the president of the nation traveled to the Maldives.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official mansion in Colombo moments before tens of thousands of demonstrators overran it over the weekend, but he promised to step down on Wednesday to pave the way for a “peaceful transition of power.”

In order to prevent protesters from overrunning the compound, police used tear gas, and authorities proclaimed a national state of emergency “to deal with the crisis in the country,” according to the prime minister’s spokesperson Dinouk Colombage.

To “contain the situation,” according to a senior police officer, police put an indefinite curfew in place in the Western Province, which includes Colombo.

Sri Lanka is in discussions with the IMF for a potential rescue after defaulting on its $51 billion in foreign debt in April.

The island’s already limited gasoline supplies are almost gone.

To cut down on commuting and save gasoline, the government has mandated the shutdown of non-essential offices and schools.

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