Second Pakistan vs New Zealand Test moved from Multan to Karachi because of weather concerns
The entire series, of two Tests and three ODIs, will be played in Karachi now
Weather issues caused the second Pakistan vs. New Zealand Test to be relocated from Multan to Karachi.
All four games of the series—two Tests and three ODIs—will now be played in Karachi.
Due to the unfavorable weather in Multan, the second and final Test match between Pakistan and New Zealand, which was originally slated to begin on January 3 in Multan, has been shifted to Karachi and will now begin on January 2.
As cricvekt revealed on Friday, discussions were ongoing between the two boards to restructure the schedule due to the likelihood of severe fog and even pollution in Punjab in early January, which includes the nearby cities of Multan and Lahore. The Multan weather, said to a statement from the PCB on Saturday, "has already affected aircraft operations and may also potentially result in the loss of playing hours."
Due to the alteration, Karachi will now serve as the host city for all four games of the series, including the three ODIs and two World Cup Super League matches. The first Test will be held from December 26 to December 30, and because the Test will now begin one day earlier than anticipated, the ODIs will now be held on January 9, 11, and 13.
Early in December, the second Test between Pakistan and England was played at Multan. Despite the absence of visibility-related delays, the air quality in Multan was noticeably worse than it was in Rawalpindi, where the first Test was held. In fact, at the time, fog caused the aircraft to Multan to be delayed by about four hours, and early morning visibility was noticeably worse than usual.
There were no delays, though, because the sun had already burned off much of the fog by the time play began at 10 a.m. local time.
But Multan has been cloudy ever since, and that is likely to continue. The motorway connecting Multan and Lahore has had to be closed to traffic on many occasions in the last week owing to foggy weather.
updated schedule
January 2–6: Second Test December 26–30: First Test
9 January: First ODI
Second ODI, January 11
ODI three on January 13.