Thank you, Sri Lanka!

Hats off to Sri Lanka for bringing international cricket back to Pakistan, a decade after the tragic incident of 2009.

The Sri Lankan team is due to play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches in Karachi and Lahore. Despite the absence of some senior players who pulled out at the last minute, the team comprises young and inspiring talent.

There is more than one reason for Pakistan to celebrate and thank Sri Lanka's cricket board and government. One way of applauding the young Sri Lankan cricketers could be by packing to capacity the stadiums, where the matches are to be held.

Back in 2009, Pakistan had a tense law and order situation. In those days, several international teams refused to visit the country. Even recently, when the Sri Lankan board decided to send its cricket team to Pakistan, senior players pulled out. Reports then circulated of the entire tour being called off. But the Sri Lankan board quickly replaced those players with others and even took notice of the conduct of those who refused. Even more encouraging was the decision of the country's sports minister to accompany the team.

On the other hand, in Pakistan, the ruling party's federal ministers and some former cricketers were overtly critical of the Sri Lankan senior players and even accused them of not being up to the mark. The statements of Fawad Chaudhry and Shahid Afridi that sportsmen pulled out due to pressure from India was uncalled for. Instead, they should have lauded the decision of the Sri Lankan government and board.

The current tour, the first formal series in 10 years, is a big challenge for Pakistan's government and the security establishment, as the future of international cricket in the country depends on it. Interestingly, the tour is taking place at a time when a former Pakistan captain and World Cup 1992 hero is the prime minister of the country.

So far, it appears that the tour will be off to a great start. The incumbent government has decided to give the Sri Lankan team the protocol accorded to any head of state.

Pakistan, we must remember, suffered a lot when sports teams declined to play in the country. Fortunately, the Pakistan Super League helped boost the confidence of international players. Several foreign sportsmen visited Pakistan for PSL matches, including for the two finals, and encouraged others to visit too. Veterans like Sir Viv Richards, Dean Jones, and Darren Sammy termed Pakistan their second home.

As for the 2009 attack, all those involved have either been killed or executed, including the mastermind of the attack, Aqeel alias Dr Usman, and seven others.

The detailed investigation and interrogation reports of the tragic incident on March 3, 2009—seen by this correspondent—reveal the intricate planning that went into ending international cricket in Pakistan. The motive behind the attack was not to hurt Sri Lanka but Pakistan, after our security forces launched an operation against sectarian groups and terrorist networks, namely the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Swat in 2008.

The initial plan was to take the foreign players hostage to demand the release of captured militants.

Since then, Pakistan has come a long way in its fight against terrorism. It has lost over 70,000 lives in the war on terror. In the last 15 years, Pakistan cleared terrorist hideouts in Swat, North Waziristan, South Waziristan on the one hand, and Karachi and southern Punjab on the other. Hundreds of terrorists have been killed and many arrested, convicted and executed through civilian and military courts.

Sri Lanka understands Pakistan's struggle, as it too has suffered a lot in its terror fight against the Tamil Tigers, which may be why it has agreed to help us bring international cricket back and sent a strong message to the world.

One can hope that, after the forthcoming series, other teams like Bangladesh, New Zealand, England, South Africa, and Australia will also tour Pakistan in the future.

Politics unfortunately has overshadowed the spirit of sports in terms of India and Pakistan matches. Even though there has never been any untoward incident in the past when the Indian team came to visit, there have been a few when the Pakistani team visited India. Unfortunately, the International Cricket Council too is dominated by India's lobby.

In recent months, the relationship between the two hostile neighbors has gone from bad to worse. But Pakistan, as a matter of policy, is still ready to play with India at any venue—including in India itself.

Now that the Sri Lankan team is in the country, it is our responsibility and challenge to ensure foolproof security to the team and its management to send a clear message to the world that Pakistan is a safe country to visit.

Lastly, and once again, thank you, Sri Lanka!

Abbas is a senior columnist and analyst of GEO, The News and Jang. He tweets @MazharAbbasGEO