Pakistan T20I Tri-Series To Start from November 17
Pakistan T20I Tri-Series is going to take place from 17 to 29 November in Rawalpindi and Lahore, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced.
Former West Indies fast bowler Reon King will serve as the match referee for the upcoming T20I tri-series in Pakistan, which will feature Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe alongside the hosts. The seven-match event will take place from 17 to 29 November in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
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King, a member of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees, previously officiated during several international series across Asia and the Caribbean.
His appointment reflects ICC’s continued effort to maintain international officiating standards in bilateral and multi-nation events. The tri-series marks Pakistan’s final home T20 assignment before the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be hosted in the country.
PCB in official statement said that the opening match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 17 November. Asif Yaqoob, part of the ICC Emerging Panel of Umpires, and Rashid Riaz, from the ICC International Panel, will officiate as on-field umpires. Faisal Afridi, also from the ICC International Panel, will serve as the third umpire, while Tariq Rasheed from PCB’s National Elite Panel will act as fourth umpire.
The second match, between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe on 19 November in Rawalpindi, will have Faisal Afridi and Rashid Riaz as on-field umpires. Asif Yaqoob and Tariq Rasheed will take the third and fourth umpire duties. The tri-series then shifts to Lahore, with matches scheduled at the Gaddafi Stadium starting on 22 November, where Pakistan will face Sri Lanka. Yaqoob and Afridi will officiate on-field, supported by Riaz and Rasheed as third and fourth umpires.
In the 23 November game between Pakistan and Zimbabwe, Rashid Riaz and Faisal Afridi will stand on-field, while Yaqoob and Rasheed will perform third and fourth umpire duties. For the 25 November fixture between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, ICC Elite Panel umpire Ahsan Raza will join the lineup as third umpire, with Yaqoob and Riaz on-field and Afridi as the fourth official.
Raza will also stand as an on-field umpire in the 27 November clash between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, partnered by Faisal Afridi. Rashid Riaz and Asif Yaqoob will serve as third and fourth umpires. The series will conclude with the final on 29 November in Lahore, where Ahsan Raza and Asif Yaqoob will officiate on-field, with Riaz and Afridi as third and fourth umpires.
The tri-series arrives amid Pakistan’s preparations for a packed international calendar ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB has been hosting a steady stream of international fixtures, with the board emphasizing improved officiating standards and security arrangements. According to ICC’s 2024 officiating framework, international panels are designed to balance experience and emerging talent across neutral and home assignments.
Pakistan last hosted a tri-series in 2018, featuring Australia and Zimbabwe in Harare, which was won by Pakistan. The upcoming series marks the first multi-nation T20 event in Pakistan in over five years. The inclusion of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe reflects growing confidence among touring nations in Pakistan’s security and infrastructure readiness.
According to PCB officials, both Lahore and Rawalpindi venues have undergone recent refurbishments, including upgraded floodlights and player facilities, ahead of the winter schedule. The matches are expected to draw strong home crowds, with ticketing and broadcast details to be announced shortly.
