Sri Lanka Cricket stated yesterday that the forthcoming tour of Pakistan by the national cricket team will go ahead as planned, following assurances given by the Government of Pakistan that it will provide maximum security arrangements for the team during their entire duration of stay in Pakistan.
Furthermore, the Major General (Rtd.) J. R. Kulathunga, National Intelligence Head, on behalf of the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka confirmed that no information has been received by the Ministry of Defence through any Intelligence Agency indicating a threat to the Sri Lanka national team or to the said tour.
It also said, no information has been received by the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Pakistan, indicating a threat to the Sri Lanka national team or to the said tour. The Government of Pakistan in a letter sent to Sri Lanka Cricket via the Ministry of Telecommunications, Foreign Employment and Sport of Sri Lanka has assured the following:
* [The] Government of Pakistan will ensure highest consideration of security to [the] visiting cricket team;
* [The] Pakistan Army will coordinate the security arrangements;.
*Security protocol will be compatible to [a] Head of State.
Accordingly, Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan 2019 will proceed as approved at the SLC Executive Committee meetings held on 22 August and 16 September.
The tour was put under a cloud last week when the Prime Minister’s Office received reliable information of a possible terrorist threat on the Sri Lanka team while touring Pakistan.
Following that information Sri Lanka Cricket said that it wanted to reassess the security situation in Pakistan and sought the assistance of the Defence Ministry for clearance to make the tour.
Sri Lanka will play a series of three ODIs in Karachi commencing on September 27 and three T20Is in Lahore.
The team is due to leave for Pakistan on September 24.
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