2001–02 Asian Test Championship

Pakistan and Sri Lanka qualified for the final after convincingly beating Bangladesh in Multan and Colombo, respectively.

However the BCCI reacted strongly to the threat, claiming that "[a] decision will be taken shortly" and that the delay doid not "[construe] that India has pulled out of the championship".

[7] Jagmohan Dalmiya, the chairman of the ACF, the marketing arm of the ACC, described the government's decision not to allow the Indian team to participate in the Asian Test Championship as an internal matter:

The PCB chairman, Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia, was dismayed over the Indian government's decision to go back on their commitment, which was a guarantee that India would have no objection playing multilateral tournaments which included Pakistan.

[11] Additionally, after the first Test, the Bangladesh Cricket Board reported that they were fearing bankruptcy due to India's withdrawal from the tournament.

[13] Tournament captains, Waqar Younis (Pakistan) and Naimur Rahman (Bangladesh) expressed India's absence as a disappointment.

Pakistan used the precedent that Sri Lanka had successfully removed Australian umpire Darrell Hair from their matches during the 1999 Cricket World Cup.

The Asian Cricket Council approved the revisions brought forward by the technical committee compromising of Sunil Gavaskar (India), Zaheer Abbas(Pakistan), Ashantha De Mel (Sri Lanka) and Gazi Ashraf (Bangladesh).

[29] Before the match, Bangladesh captain had ruled out the possibility of a repeat upset[30] while batsmen Al Sahariar revealed that the aim for the team was to play the full five days.

[31] The Bangladesh team had engaged notable former cricketers Javed Miandad of Pakistan, Andy Roberts of West Indies and Trevor Chappell of Australia as coaches, to strengthen their side.

[32] Taufeeq Umar and Shoaib Malik were included in the initial 16-man squad; both players earned their first Test cap in this match.

[33] Wasim Akram, initially left out of the 27-man training squad, was included in the final 16 and 11, taking Shoaib Akhtar's place, after a positive performance in a first-class match between PCB XI and Bangladesh.

[34] Pakistan entered the match as clear favorites, despite having failed to win a Test series at home since 1997, when Wasim Akram captained the side to a 3–0 whitewash over the West Indies.

He reach 4000 Test runs in this innings, joining the likes of Javed Miandad, Saleem Malik, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Zaheer Abbas and Mudassar Nazar as the only Pakistanis to do so.

Five players scored centuries: Saeed Anwar (101), Taufeeq Umar(104), Inzamam-ul-Haq (105*), Yousuf Youhana (102*) and Abdul Razzaq (110*).

It was the first Test between the two sides and to mark the occasion, the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) allowed free entry at five enclosures at the stadium.

[47] This Test was the second meeting of the two sides in international cricket; Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in an ODI during the 1997 Asia Cup.

Sanath Jayasuriya, the Sri Lanka captain warned ahead of the game that his team can not afford to relax and was expecting good performance against the newest Test nation.

[50] Historically, Sri Lanka have had a winning record at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground,[51] with Chaminda Vaas and Muralitharan taking career bests at this venue.

Sri Lanka pacer Dilhara Fernando was ruled out due a groin strain and was replaced by Ravindra Pushpakumara.

Additionally, under-performing batsman Russel Arnold and fast bowler Dulip Liyanage were replaced by Michael Vandort and Ruchira Perera respectively.

[55] The PCB and Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka agreed to play the final match at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.

It marked the return of international cricket to Pakistan after the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan prompted the cancellation of tours by New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and the rescheduling of the West Indies series to Sharjah.