A total of 16 Sri Lankan players have decided to quit the Pakistan tour midway after a suicide bombing incident in Islamabad. This comes as a major embarrassment for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its chief Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be the interior minister of Pakistan.
Notably, a suicide bombing took place in Rawalpindi, approximately 17 km away from the Stadium where Pakistan and Sri Lanka were to play the 1st ODI match on Monday. Despite the attack, the match went on and Pakistan won the opening game by 6 runs.
Mohsin Naqvi personally went to comfort Sri Lanka
As per reports in Pakistani media, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi personally met the Lankan players and team management after the 1st ODI and assured full-proof security for the entire touring party.
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It’s worth noting that Cricket teams in Pakistan receive Presidential-level security after international cricket started returning to the country post a decade-long hiatus. Incidentally, it was Sri Lanka in 2009 that was the last touring team to Pakistan before the international cricket lockdown happened in the country.
This happened as the Lankan team suffered a terrorist attack, and cricket fans can never forget the images of Lankan players being airlifted from the stadium itself. This led to a complete shutdown of international cricket in Pakistan.
Even the Pakistan Super League, Pakistan’s official T20 Franchise League Tournament, had to be launched in the UAE in 2016 as the UAE had become the base for Pakistan’s international cricket affairs since the 2009 incident.
Suicide bombing rocks Islamabad
A major suicide bombing took place in Islamabad near the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where the 2 teams were scheduled to play the 1st ODI of the 3-match series. Despite the attack, the match went on and finished in regular time.
However, after the match, panic gripped the Sri Lankan team as they might have had flashbacks of the 2009 tour. The practice sessions of both the Pakistan and the Lankan teams were cancelled before the 2nd ODI on Thursday.
Then reports started emerging that the Lankan players are not willing to carry on the tour, given the horrific conditions in Pakistan. As soon as this news came out, PCB officials and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials began speaking and comforting the players.
All the efforts were put in place by both the boards to ensure the smooth continuation of the tour. However, the majority of the Lankan playing contingent could not be convinced, and they decided to fly back to the country.
SLC will arrange for a replacement team
It has come to light that the Lankan Cricket Board will now arrange for a separate team that can fly to Pakistan and complete the remainder of the tour. However, this will not be an easy task for the board, as the returning players will definitely brief the other players about the worsening situation.
Pakistan had won the 1st ODI of the 3-match series scheduled at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium by 6 runs. Salman Ali Agha was awarded the Man of the Match for his all-round contribution in the game.
Apart from him, Haris Rauf was back to his best with 4 wickets to his name. For the visiting Sri Lankan team, Wanindu Hasaranga fought hard first with the ball and then with the bat.
However, his team could not cross the finishing line and would have loved to win the remaining games to grab the series in their kitty. Now, this cancellation again casts a dark shadow over international cricket in Pakistan.
Earler this year, both IPL and PSL had to be stopped midway after violent military clashes erupted between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in India. After that, Pakistan had to face
