CHENNAI: A Weakened Sri Lanka team will travel to Pakistan for the limited-over bilateral series scheduled to commence in Karachi on September 27. They are scheduled to play three ODIs and as many T20Is in Pakistan. This is supposed to be the longest bilateral series to be hosted by Pakistan since the terror attack on Sri Lankan team in 2009.
“We are sending a team without some regulars, who do not want to go,” Mohan de Silva, Sri Lanka Cricket secretary, confirmed to this newspaper. The SLC secretary refused to name the players, who decided to skip the tour citing security reasons. But it was learnt that 10 players including ODI and T20I skippers — Dimuth Karunarate and Lasith Malinga — senior pro-Angelo Mathews, wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella and all-rounder Thisara Perera are reluctant to travel. Families of these players are said to be uncomfortable with prospect of them playing in Pakistan.
Perera is playing for St Lucia Zouks in the Caribbean Premier League that commenced on September 4. Malinga and Dickwella were also scheduled to play in the league but they pulled out ahead of the event. It was learnt that the SLC selectors have chosen separate captains for the two formats after these players decided to skip the series.
Sri Lanka had carried out security assessment in Lahore and Karachi — the two venues for the series — last month. The assessment though threw up a positive result but it failed to allay fears of these players.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wants to host all ODIs in Karachi and T20Is in Lahore. It has also released an itinerary with ODIs set to be held on September 27, 29 and October 2 while T20Is are scheduled on October 5, 7 and 9.
The Pakistan board also expressed its desire to hosts two Tests in the country but had to change the plan after the SLC decided otherwise. The two-match series is now expected to be played in the UAE in December. As per media reports, Sri Lanka sports minister Harin Fernando was expected to talk to these players on Monday assuring them of the security. However, the players were later given freedom to decide on their participation. The Sri Lankan team had earlier visited Lahore for a day to play a lone T20I in October, 2017. The ICC World XI and West Indies have also played short T20 series in Pakistan in the last two years.