COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cricket officials Monday reacted cautiously to an request to tour Pakistan, just two years after players were targeted in a deadly aggressive ambush in Lahore.
The fresh wave of terrorism that hit Karachi on May 23 is probable to put another question mark on the prospect of the tour materialising.
The Pakistan Cricket panel announced at the weekend that they had invited Sri Lanka to have fun three Tests, five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 game in a series proposed for October.
Sri Lanka officials believed they would need security clearance before accepting the invitation, as well as discussions with the government and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
They offered to host a event in Sri Lanka instead.
“We are awaiting clearance from the authorities previous to we can accept an invitation,” Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told AFP.
“We have in turn offered to host a tournament in Sri Lanka,” he added.
“Until everybody agrees (to tour Pakistan) it is very difficult to send our team. Everybody should understand the most horrible affected will be the players and their families,” Ranatunga told AP.
Seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach were wounded when gunmen opened fire on the Sri Lankan team motor vehicle in Lahore in 2009. Eight Pakistanis were also killed in the attack.
Even before the Lahore attacks, Pakistan was a no-go area for many teams because of security fears.
The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat earlier this month said no team was ready to tour Pakistan at the moment because of its security situation.
Pakistan have been forced to play their “home” progression in the United Arab Emirates, England and New Zealand.
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