Sri Lanka wants to play at least one T20I in Lahore

Cricket is again coming back to the cricket crazy yet the cricket starved nation of Pakistan. All International cricket came to a standstill in Pakistan after the Sri Lankan players’ bus was attacked by the terrorists, while they were heading towards the Gaddafi Stadium in 2009. The same team is willing to tour their country again, thereby opening the gates for other international teams to follow their path.

The Sri Lankan security experts are already present in the same city where the unfortunate incident took place. The Lions, who are currently outclassed by the men in blue, will tour Pakistan for three T20Is. If everything goes as planned, after a long time the cricket enthusiasts of Pakistan will be witnessing a series against a formidable lineup. Only Zimbabwe toured Pakistan in the interim in 2015.

Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC)’s chairman Thilanga Sumathipala, at the Asian Cricket Council Annual General Body meeting in Colombo on Sunday (August 12) said that they would like to play at least one of the three T20Is in Lahore.

“I am keen to take my team to Pakistan. We have had our security experts visit and make an assessment, and things look positive with things improving all over the country and especially Lahore being cleared. We have three T20 games coming up against Pakistan in September, and we would like to play at least one of those games in Lahore,” said Sumathipala.

Sumathipala wants the Asian teams to support Pakistan

The chairman said that even after the terrorist attacks in England, the Champions Trophy was not called off and every team went to England on the basis of ICC’s clearance. Hence, he wants the Asian teams to behave in the same manner in case of Pakistan.

“There is always risk – there were two attacks in London during the Champions trophy, but cricket continued under the security assurances of the ICC, so likewise we too must be as accommodating and understanding as possible with our members and extend our fullest support to them as the cricketing family of Asia,” said Sumathipala.

Thilanga also acknowledged the two Asian neighbours Pakistan and India for helping his nation out when they were suffering the negative impacts of terrorism and violence. “Sri Lanka suffered through three decades of terrorism and war and at one stage no one wanted to come here – Pakistan stood by us then, as did India,” he concluded.