Sarfraz Ahmed optimistic about Sri Lanka's visit to Lahore

Pakistani skipper Sarfraz Ahmed is optimistic about the chances of the Sri Lankan team visiting Lahore for the final T20I of the ongoing series. Sri Lanka are currently in the UAE playing the ‘hosts’ Pakistan in the ODI series. After the conclusion of the ODI series, they are scheduled to play 3 T20Is. Out of these three games, the first two T20Is are scheduled to be played in the UAE.

The final match of the tour has been scheduled to be played at Lahore. This match is expected to the return of the international cricket to Pakistani soil. Earlier in September this year, the World XI team had visited Pakistan for a T20 series. The event was a successful one and this helped the PCB set up a T20 game in Lahore against Sri Lanka.

Everything seemed to have been going really well in the lead up to the game. However, recently, close to 40 Sri Lankan players wrote to their cricket board, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), expressing their unwillingness to travel Pakistan. They requested the board to consider a change in venue for the final T20I game.

While the state and the fate of the match remains to be decided, Pakistani skipper Sarfraz Ahmed feels that Sri Lanka should visit Pakistan. As per the recent quotes in Geo.tv, Sarfraz quoted, “I don’t know what the Sri Lankan players are thinking but I believe they will visit Pakistan. I think the Sri Lanka team should tour Pakistan.”

SLC keen on helping

Meanwhile, the Chief of SLC, Thilan Sumathipala, has expressed that they will send a full strength side for the match. He also mentioned that the board will talk to the ICC and the players about the security measurements before arriving at a conclusion. He conceded that they are keen on helping Pakistan in times of crisis.