By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Sri Lanka’s cricket board on Wednesday ordered its players and staff to press on with their tour of Pakistan despite security fears sparked by a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad, warning that anyone who defies the directive faces a formal review.
The decision came after several team members requested to return home following Tuesday’s blast outside a court building in the capital’s G-11 area, which killed 12 people and injured 36. In a statement, the SLC said it had “instructed all players, support staff and team management to continue with the tour as scheduled”.
“SLC was informed by the team management this morning that several members of the national team currently touring Pakistan have requested to return home, citing safety concerns,” the statement said.
SLC’s statement said the board had worked quickly to allay fears. “Following this development, SLC immediately engaged with the players and assured them that all such concerns are being duly addressed in close coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the relevant authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of every member of the touring party.”
The board added that if any player or member of the touring party decides to return to Sri Lanka despite the directive, it would immediately send replacements to ensure the tour continued without interruption. “If any player, players or member of the support staff return despite SLC’s directives, a formal review will be conducted to assess their actions, and an appropriate decision will be made upon the conclusion of the review,” it said.
Sri Lankan Team Manager Mahinda Halangode confirmed that no player would be returning to Sri Lanka. “None are returning,” he said. Deliberations went late into the night on Wednesday regarding the future of the tour, with players, team management, SLC officials, and Pakistan security officials all involved in the discussion. With these talks concluding late, and other logistics being thrown off by uncertainty, the two remaining ODIs in the series have now been pushed back a day.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced that the matches will be played on November 14 and 16, when they had been scheduled for November 13 and 15.
The incident occurred as international events were being hosted in the capital, including a one-day international (ODI) match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. Sri Lanka have only played one of the three ODIs that are scheduled, and also have a T20I tri-series — with Zimbabwe as the other team — to play in Pakistan immediately after.
Naqvi said he was grateful to the Sri Lankan team for the decision to continue the Pakistan tour. “The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines bright,” he said.
The PCB, in a statement, said it appreciated the understanding and cooperation of cricket fans and looked forward to their continued support as it hosted the Sri Lanka team for “what promises to be an exciting ODI series”.
The PCB said that security around the visiting team had been increased following the attack, and Sri Lankan High Commissioner Rear Admiral (retired) Fred Seneviratne expressed satisfaction with security arrangements for the team during a meeting today with Naqvi.
The PCB has shifted the T20I tri-nation tournament, also featuring Zimbabwe, to Rawalpindi from Lahore. The entire T20I Tri-Nation Tournament will now also be held in Rawalpindi, starting from Nov 18. According to the PCB, the decision was made in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket and Zimbabwe Cricket following mutual discussions to accommodate operational and match requirements.
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