Sri Lanka Cricket tells players to stay in Pakistan after bomb blast

Sri Lanka governing assemblage instructs nationalist squad to proceed circuit successful Pakistan contempt respective players wanting to leave.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has told its players to stay successful Pakistan oregon hazard facing a “formal review” aft members of the squad declared their volition to depart aboriginal from their circuit of the state owed to information concerns.

The players expressed fears for their information aft Tuesday’s termination bombing successful the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, which killed 12 radical and wounded 27 extracurricular a court.

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The SLC issued a connection connected Wednesday saying it instructed the squad to spell up with their ongoing circuit of Pakistan arsenic scheduled contempt an unspecified fig of players asking to instrumentality home.

“If immoderate player, players, oregon subordinate of the enactment unit instrumentality contempt SLC’s directives, a ceremonial reappraisal volition beryllium conducted … and an due determination volition beryllium made,” the committee said.

It added that replacements would beryllium sent to guarantee the circuit continues without interruption.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the 2nd one-day planetary (ODI) scheduled for Thursday has been moved backmost by 1 time portion Saturday’s 3rd lucifer volition present beryllium played connected Sunday. Both volition beryllium successful Rawalpindi.

“Grateful to the Sri Lankan squad for their determination to proceed the Pakistan tour,” PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said connected societal media. “The tone of sportsmanship and solidarity shines bright.”

Six Sri Lankan players were wounded successful March 2009 erstwhile gunmen opened occurrence connected their squad autobus arsenic it was driving to Gaddafi Stadium successful Lahore for a Test match.

The incidental led to planetary teams staying distant from Pakistan for astir a decade.

Pakistan bushed Sri Lanka by six runs successful the opening ODI successful Rawalpindi connected Tuesday, a crippled that went up contempt the termination onslaught successful adjacent Islamabad.

The PCB said information astir the visiting squad has been tightened since the attack.

Naqvi met Sri Lankan players astatine their Islamabad edifice connected Wednesday and assured them of their safety, Pakistani officials said.

Sri Lanka are playing successful the three-match ODI bid against Pakistan earlier taking portion successful a T20 tri-series tourney against the hosts and Zimbabwe November 17-29.

Several members of the Sri Lankan nationalist cricket squad are reportedly against staying successful Pakistan aft an detonation successful Islamabad took spot conscionable hours earlier their one-day planetary against Pakistan successful adjacent Rawalpindi [File: Sajjad Hussain/AFP]