Islamabad blast: 8 Sri Lanka cricketers return from Pak; second ODI in doubt

As galore arsenic 8 Sri Lankan players touring Pakistan for a three-match ODI bid volition instrumentality location connected Thursday aft raising concerns astir their safety, quality bureau PTI reported.

Their determination comes a time aft a weaponry blast successful Islamabad killed 12 radical and injured respective others.Because of this, the 2nd ODI scheduled for Thursday successful Rawalpindi whitethorn not instrumentality place. Pakistan won the archetypal ODI by six runs astatine the aforesaid venue connected Tuesday.Sri Lanka is besides scheduled to play a triangular bid with Pakistan and Zimbabwe aft the ODI series. "The 2nd ODI against Pakistan time is successful doubt, but substitute players volition beryllium sent to proceed the tri-nation series," a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) root was quoted arsenic saying by the quality bureau AFP.PTI reported that the Sri Lankan players wanted to instrumentality due to the fact that Rawalpindi, the venue for the matches, is adjacent to Islamabad, wherever the blast took place.In 2009, the Sri Lankan squad autobus was attacked by gunmen connected the mode to the Gaddafi Stadium successful Lahore for the 2nd Test. Several players, including Ajantha Mendis, Chaminda Vaas and skipper Mahela Jayawardene, were injured, and Pakistani information unit were killed.

After that attack, overseas teams did not circuit Pakistan for much than 10 years, forcing Pakistan to big location bid astatine neutral venues successful the Middle East.International cricket returned to Pakistan erstwhile Sri Lanka toured the state successful December 2019.