Sri Lanka cricket team (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) Cricket in Sri Lanka has ordered its national team to go ahead with their Pakistan tour despite security concerns following a suicide bombing in Islamabad, threatening the players with a “formal review” if they leave early. The directive came after several members of the team expressed their intention to return home after Tuesday’s attack, which killed 12 and injured 27, before the court.The Cricket Board said it would send replacements to ensure the tour continued without interruption if players walked out against instructions.
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“If any player, players or member of support staff returns in defiance of SLC directives, a formal review will be conducted … and an appropriate decision will be made,” the board announced.The Pakistan Cricket Board postponed the second and third ODI matches. The second match will now be played on Friday instead of Thursday and the third match has been moved from Saturday to Sunday, both in Rawalpindi.PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed his appreciation on social media: “Grateful to the Sri Lankan team for their decision to go ahead with the Pakistan tour. The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines brightly.”The security concerns stem from a historic incident in March 2009 when six Sri Lankan players were injured after gunmen attacked their team bus en route to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. This attack led to international teams avoiding Pakistan for almost a decade.The opening ODI went ahead as scheduled in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, with Pakistan winning by six runs despite a suicide attack in nearby Islamabad.The PCB has increased security measures for the visiting team following the incident. Pakistani officials confirmed that Naqvi met the Sri Lankan players at their hotel in Islamabad on Wednesday to assure them of their safety.The current tour includes a three-match ODI series, followed by a three-series T20 tournament involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, scheduled for November 17-29.
