Lahore, Oct 29 (PTI) The Sri Lankan cricket team arrivedhere, eight years after they suffered a gun and grenadeattack, under heavy security to play the final Twenty20International of a three-match series against Pakistan.
International cricket was suspended in Pakistan after the2009 gun attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, whichleft eight people killed and seven visiting players and theirstaff members injured.
Upon their arrival here last night, the Sri Lankanplayers and the officials were straightaway taken to a five-star hotel in a bomb-proof bus with hundreds of elite policecommandos and the paramilitary rangers providing high levelsecurity.
Several Lankan players and officials, including thesurvivors who came under gunfire in 2009 and their head coach,had opted out of the Twenty20 fixture after some voicedconcern about security.
The 24-member strong Sri Lankan contingent became thefirst major international team to visit the country since theincident.
In the last eight years, Pakistan have only managed toget minnows Zimbabwe to tour Lahore in 2015, besides hostingthe final of Pakistan Super League and a three-match Twenty20series against a World XI -- comprised of players from sevencountries -- earlier this year.
The attack on the Sri Lankan team led to internationalteams refusing to tour Pakistan and the ICC also relocated allmatches of the 2011 World Cup, which were to be held inPakistan, because no one was willing to play in the country.
Sri Lanka have played two Tests, five One-dayInternationals and the first two Twenty20 matches of theseries in the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan's neutral venuesince 2009.
But Sri Lanka agreed to travel to Pakistan for the thirdand final T20 match.
An hour before the Sri Lankans arrived from Abu Dhabi,the Pakistan team had also reached the city from Dubai.
Besides the team and officials, Sri Lanka's sportsminister Dayasiri Jayasekera and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)President Thilanga Sumathipala are also on the tour.
They were all greeted by fully armed elite commandos,Inspector-General of Punjab police, the Lahore Mayor, topranking Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials and othergovernment dignitaries on the runaway and within no time werewhisked away in bullet proof vehicles to their hotel from theterminal.
All the roads from the airport to the hotel were sealedoff and one hour before the Sri Lankan team was due to land,the security forces had cordoned off all entrances and exitpoints at the airport.
Mobile phone services were also temporarily suspended inthe area, where the hotel is located. PTI Cor CMCM.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
