Lanka-Pakistan to do away with super-subs

SUPER-SUBS: The Cricket Boards of Sri Lanka and Pakistan have agreed to forego the use of the controversial super-sub rule in the forthcoming one-day international series to be played in Colombo.

Pakistan is due to make a short tour to Sri Lanka from March 13 and play a series of three one-day internationals and two Tests.

Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Duleep Mendis said that both cricket boards had agreed to drop the super-sub rule for the series after Sri Lanka Cricket had initiated it.

Mendis said that the super-sub rule would cease to be used by the ICC after March 21. It was introduced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as an experimental rule last year but has run into a lot of criticism from several captains who were not in favour of it.

The ICC has taken a decision to scrap it after March 21. However the power plays will remain and may continue until the next World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007.

The firat ODI is scheduled to be played under lights at the R. Premadasa Stadium on March 17, the second also at the same venue on March 19 which is a day match and the final ODI at the SSC on March 21.

The Tests are scheduled at the SSC and Asgiriya Stadium, Kandy from March 24-28 and from April 1-5 respectively. [S.T.]