Pakistan has always supported other countries by touring, says Sarfaraz Ahmed

Pakistan are scheduled to lock horns with Sri Lanka at home for an ODI and T20I series at the National Stadium in Karachi and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. The fixtures are set to get underway on Friday, September 27. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) got a positive feedback from the security delegations after which the series was zeroed in on. But concerns remain over the series.

10 of the Lankan players, including the likes of Dimuth Karunaratne, Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews have already backed out from the tour. Hence, the visitors were compelled to name a depleted squad for the limited-overs series. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has refrained from making any comments on the matter since it believes that it’s Lanka’s personal matter.

Sarfaraz Ahmed asks for support

In the meantime, Sarfaraz Ahmed, the Pakistan skipper, has opened up on the issue. He has asked for support from the other cricketing nations. Sarfaraz put forth the Easter bombings as an example and how Pakistan sent its junior team to Lanka after the terrorist attacks.

“Pakistan has always supported other countries by touring. Recently, Pakistan sent its junior team to Sri Lanka a couple of weeks after bombings took place,” the 32-year-old Sarfaraz was quoted as saying in Pak Passion.

On Wednesday, September 11, SLC confirmed that their Prime Minister had received a message which mentioned the threat of an attack on the team in Pakistan. However, the PCB is yet to hear anything about it from their Sri Lankan counterpart. Previously, SLC announced that it would reassess the security arrangements in Pakistan before taking the final call.

The memories of the bus attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore are afresh in the minds. Back in October 2017, Lanka played a solitary T20I in Lahore, though a number of their big stars didn’t play the game. Zimbabwe, the World XI and the West Indies have travelled the war-stricken nation from 2015 onwards.

It was back in 2009, that Pakistan last hosted a Test. Later in December, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are set to play a couple of matches in the World Test Championship and it’s not confirmed where the series will take place.

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