PCB’s efforts to bring back international cricket in Pakistan have suffered yet another blow as Sri Lanka has refused to accept the proposed tour of Pakistan in October-November this year.
Pakistan had offered Sri Lanka to play a series of limited-overs cricket a few days ago which has been turned down. Instead the two Asia rivals will face each other in one-day international (ODI) and Twenty20 international (T20I) series which will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
It is important to mention here that the Sri Lankan team were attacked by 12 militants on March, 3 2009 loaded with AK-47 rifles, rockets and hand grenades near Liberty Square, Lahore. The cricketers were on their way to Gaddafi Stadium for third day’s play of the second Test against Pakistan.
Although no lives were lost in the deadly attack, but Pakistan has since been deprived of international cricket owing to security concerns. The matches of 2011 World Cup that were scheduled to be played in Pakistan were also shifted.
In 2015, Pakistan hosted Zimbabwe for a series of limited-overs cricket, and conducted a successful Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in 2017 in Lahore, but teams and their respective boards are still reluctant to play cricket in Pakistan.
On the other hand, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is continuously making efforts to bring international cricket back home, and is hopeful for positive results in the near future.
According to PCB, preparations are being done in order to host World XI in September this year, and dialogues will be held with other teams to visit Pakistan afterwards.
