Sri Lankan cricket support staff's agreement to tour Lahore softens tensions

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Sri Lanka's Akila Dananjaya celebrates with captain Upul Tharanga and his teammates during the second one-day international (ODI) match in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, August 24, 2017. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/Files
 

It looks like the players of the Sri Lankan cricket team are not as opposed to touring Lahore for the T20 International match as they were before, after their related support staff — including former cricketers — agreed to the trip.

The news comes after a report from Cricbuzz, which said Monday night "some [Sri Lankan] players seem to have softened their stance" now that the "support staff [has] agreed to tour Lahore".

In a letter written to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Thialnga Sumathipala earlier, the Sri Lankan sportsmen underscored their discomfort with travelling to Pakistan and demanded the venue be changed.

The players' reluctance, justifiably, stemmed from fears pertaining to the March 2009 attack.

Suranga Lakmal and Chamara Kapugedera — the two international players currently part of the Sri Lankan cricket team's one-day international (ODI) squad — were riding alongside their teammates in a bus that was attacked in Lahore almost a decade ago.

The incident had significantly dented the local cricket scene, with international cricket subsequently being pulled out and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) becoming Pakistani cricket's adoptive home.

However, recent developments have managed to soften the Sri Lankan team's stance.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given surety to the team that security arrangements similar to those for heads of state will be provided to them. In addition, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also given a thumbs up to the safety precautions taken by the PCB, saying it intends to send a match referee and an anti-corruption official to accompany the team.

Nevertheless, the SLC believes another security assessment — conducted by themselves — is in order since they value their players' worries.

The SLC's Board will be picking only those players who are comfortable with the tour to Lahore for the three-match T20 series, Sumathipala told the publication.

Another unnamed official added, "The players have a few concerns and we will address them."

Former captain Waqar Younis and Inzamam ul Haq earlier in October had pushed the Sri Lankan team to tour Pakistan in an attempt to have international cricket return to the country.

Coupled with the support staff — which has been asked to express their willingness to SLC CEO Ashley de Silva individually and comprises Hashan Thilakaratne, Rumesh Ratnayake, Asanka Gurusinha, and Nic Pothas — agreeing to travel to Lahore, these factors have led to things smoothing out for the upcoming match.

A Cricbuzz source revealed that it was after Mickey Arthur — the head coach for Pakistani cricket team — spoke to the support staff that they were convinced for the trip.

With Pakistan slowly trying to shift international cricket back from the UAE into the country and the PCB recovering from the hefty losses borne due to the 2009 incident, it now remains to be seen which of the Sri Lankan cricketers finally step back onto Pakistani soil.