A day after reports surfaced of 10 top Sri Lankan players pulling out of the upcoming tour of Pakistan, a minister in the Imran Khan government has made an outrageous claim about India being responsible for the pull out. T20 skipper Lasith Malinga and former captains Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera are among the player who have pulled out of the tour. This is the first time Sri Lanka are visiting Pakistan for a full tour since a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus during a Test match in Lahore in March 2009.
Science and Technology Minister Fawad Hussain Chaudhry said in a tweet that India has threatened the players from the island nation against participating in the upcoming series.
ALSO READ: Ten Sri Lankans opt out of Pakistan cricket tour over security fears
“Informed sports commentators told me that India threatened SL players that they will be ousted from IPL if they don’t refuse Pak visit, this is really cheap tactic, jingoism from sports to space is something we must condemn, really cheap on the part of Indian sports authorities,” Chaudhry tweeted.
The Sri Lanka Cricket board said in a statement that players in a preliminary squad were briefed on security arrangements for the six-match limited over series, and given the freedom to decide if they wanted to travel.
{{/usCountry}}The Sri Lanka Cricket board said in a statement that players in a preliminary squad were briefed on security arrangements for the six-match limited over series, and given the freedom to decide if they wanted to travel.
{{/usCountry}}Following the briefing, ten players “chose to stay away” from the series of three One-Day Internationals and three T20 games, scheduled to begin on September 27 in Karachi, it said.
The other seven who opted out were Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne.
The tour was seen as another step towards reviving international cricket in Pakistan after years of isolation.
Batsman Danushka Gunathilaka said he believed security would be adequate.
“From what they told us, I think there will be very tight security,” Gunathilaka said.
The Sri Lankans returned to Pakistan for a Twenty20 international in Lahore in October 2017 when Perera led the team. This time, he has decided to stay away. Sri Lanka are also to play two Test matches against Pakistan, but the dates and the venue are yet to be announced. Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Harin Fernando has rejected playing the longer versions of the game in Pakistan and suggested the Tests be played in the United Arab Emirates, where Pakistan have played many of their home series.
(With AFP inputs)