Pakistan is gearing up to participate in the upcoming third edition of the Road Safety World Series, a T20 league that features retired international cricket stars. In its previous two seasons, the league was held in India, commencing in March 2020. However, for the forthcoming season, the league has secured approval from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and will be played in England, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo.
The inaugural season of the league was significantly impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak and took place over 2020 and 2021. The second season occurred in 2022. Due to political tensions between the governments of Pakistan and India, Pakistan refrained from sending a team to India for the first two seasons.
The initial season featured teams from India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia, and West Indies but was curtailed to only four matches due to the pandemic. When the tournament resumed in 2021, Australia withdrew from participation due to travel restrictions, and Bangladesh and England were added as replacements.
The second season took place in Dehradun and Raipur in September 2022, and New Zealand joined the competition. India Legends emerged victorious in both tournaments, defeating Sri Lanka in the final held in Raipur.
The Read Safety World Series has garnered the presence of several cricketing legends, including Sachin Tendulkar, Kevin Pieterson, Shane Bond, Yuvraj Singh, Sanath Jayasurya, Brian Lara, Shane Watson, Tilakaratne Dilshan, and others, some of whom are ODI and T20 World champions.
Although the exact dates for the third season are yet to be announced, it is expected to take place in September. The upcoming edition will see participation from nine teams.