Islamabad blast: Eight Sri Lanka cricketers return from Pakistan; second ODI in doubt | Cricket News
As many as eight Sri Lankan players touring Pakistan for a three-match ODI series will return home on Thursday after raising concerns over their safety, news agency PTI reported. The move comes a day after a bomb exploded in Islamabad, killing 12 people and injuring several others.As a result, the second ODI scheduled for Thursday in Rawalpindi may not take place. Pakistan won the first ODI by six runs at the same venue on Tuesday.Sri Lanka is also expected to play a triangular series with Pakistan and Zimbabwe after the ODI series.
“The second ODI against Pakistan tomorrow is uncertain, but replacement players will be sent to continue the tri-nation series,” a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) source was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.PTI reported that the Sri Lankan players wanted to return because Rawalpindi, the venue of the matches, is close to Islamabad, where the blast took place.In 2009, the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked by gunmen while traveling to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the second Test. Several players, including Ajantha Mendis, Chaminda Vaas and captain Mahela Jayawardene, were injured and members of the Pakistani security forces were killed.After this attack, foreign teams did not visit Pakistan for over 10 years, forcing Pakistan to host home series at neutral venues in the Middle East.International cricket returned to Pakistan when Sri Lanka visited the country in December 2019.
