The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declined Bangladesh’s offer for a T20I tri-series in December, sources told on Wednesday.
The planned series was expected to include the Sri Lankan cricket team as well.
According to the sources, the PCB declined the request due to concerns over player workload.
Several key Pakistani cricketers, including Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam, have already committed to participating in the Big Bash League (BBL) in December.
The 15th edition of the BBL is scheduled to run from December 14, 2025, to January 25, 2026, featuring 44 matches in prime early-evening slots. The tournament will open with a high-profile clash between two of the league’s most successful teams, the Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers, at Perth Stadium.
The fixture will mark Babar’s BBL debut for the Sixers.
Among other Pakistani players, Mohammad Rizwan joined Melbourne Renegades, Haris Rauf was retained by Melbourne Stars, Shadab Khan signed with Sydney Thunder, Hasan Ali was drafted by Adelaide Strikers and Hassan Khan will represent the Renegades.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is already set to host a T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from November 17 to 29.
Zimbabwe will kick off their campaign against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on November 17, followed by a match against Sri Lanka on November 19.
The team will then move to Lahore for fixtures against Pakistan on November 23 and Sri Lanka on November 25. The top two teams from the round-robin stage will meet in the final at Gaddafi Stadium on November 29.
Meanwhile, former West Indies fast bowler Reon King, who is also part of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees, will serve as match referee for the T20I tri-series, which will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from November 17 to 29.
Alongside hosts Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will feature in the seven-match event, said a press release.
In the opening T20I between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Asif Yaqoob (ICC Emerging Panel of Umpires) and Rashid Riaz (ICC International Panel of Umpires) will stand as on-field umpires, while Faisal Afridi (ICC International Panel of Umpires) will act as third umpire. Tariq Rasheed, part of PCB’s National Elite Panel of Umpires, will serve as fourth umpire for the match.
For the second T20I between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at the same venue on November 19, Faisal Afridi and Rashid Riaz will officiate on-field, with Asif Yaqoob and Tariq Rasheed taking up third and fourth umpire duties, respectively.
For the November 22 contest between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Asif Yaqoob and Faisal Afridi will stand as on-field umpires, while Rashid Riaz and Tariq Rasheed will serve as third and fourth umpire, respectively. On November 23, in the match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe, Rashid Riaz and Faisal Afridi will officiate on-field, with Asif Yaqoob and Tariq Rasheed as third and fourth umpire, respectively.
On November 25, in the fixture between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz will be the on-field umpires, while Ahsan Raza (ICC Elite Panel of Umpires) will perform third umpire duties. Faisal Afridi will serve as fourth umpire.
For the November 27 fixture between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Ahsan Raza and Faisal Afridi will stand as on-field umpires, with Rashid Riaz and Asif Yaqoob performing third and fourth umpire duties, respectively.
In the final match, scheduled for November 29, Ahsan Raza and Asif Yaqoob will officiate on-field, while Rashid Riaz and Faisal Afridi will serve as third and fourth umpire, respectively.