Sri Lanka tour of Pakistan in danger as eight players decide to return home after bomb blast: Report
Mumbai, Nov 12 – The Sri Lanka men’s cricket squad is threatening to abandon its tour of Pakistan after an eight‑player walk‑out following a suicide bomb blast in Islamabad.
The eight cricketers, part of a 16‑player team, decided to head back home just hours before the second One‑Day International (ODI) in Rawalpindi. The move comes after a tragic bombing on Tuesday that killed 12 people and injured many more.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had already warned that any player who leaves the tour could face a two‑year ban. Yet, despite assurances from Pakistan’s authorities, the players chose to leave. “Some board members believe that players should be penalised if they break ranks and decide to return without playing,” an insider said.
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi met the team in Islamabad and promised full security arrangements. He even met Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner, Rear‑Admiral Fred Siriweera, to allay fears. The High Commissioner praised the security work, but eight players still opted to return home.
If the Sri Lankans do leave, the second ODI in Rawalpindi may be postponed. PCB officials say they can reschedule the series or even shift the upcoming tri‑series (which will involve Pakistan and Zimbabwe and starts Nov. 19) to a later date.
The tour was already fragile. Sri Lanka’s previous visit in 2009 was cut short after a bus attack near Gaddafi Stadium that left seven players injured and eight policemen dead. That incident halted international cricket in Pakistan until 2015. Since then, Pakistan has hosted teams from England, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia (the last of whom toured in 2022 after a 24‑year absence).
Today’s security scare, combined with the past history, has left the treble of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the rest of the cricket world uncertain about the future of the series.
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