Colombo : Pakistan's isolation in world cricket is far from getting over despite repeated attempts by the country's cricket board to persuade other nations to tour for bilateral series. This is not withstanding Afghanistan's acceptance to play in Pakistan.
In a major blow to the Pakistan Cricket Board, Sri Lanka has out-rightly refused an offer to tour the country for a bilateral series, said a report on Reuters. The reason for the denial being the most obvious one - security.
Reuters has quoted a Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman as saying, "We have refused to tour Pakistan. We are concerned about the security and that's why we said no to them."
It can be recalled that Pakistan, facing an unofficial ban from cricket playing nations to tour the country had hoped of persuading the Sri Lankan cricket board to send their team for a tour. This despite the Sri Lankan team being at the centre of a terrorist attack in their last tour to Pakistan and with a daily degenerating security scenario in the Islamic country.
Seven people were killed in the attacks on Sri Lankan team bus in 2009. Few Sri Lankans were critically injured and were flown off from Pakistan in a special aircraft. Since then, there has been no international cricket happening in Pakistan.
Nadeem Sarwar, a PCB official was earlier on May 21 quoted by Reuters saying as, "Yes we have sent them a fresh invite to play the series of three tests, five one-day internationals and one T20 match in Pakistan in October-November. We are waiting for their response but we have given them full security assurances." Reuters
