Top Sri Lankan Players Should Not Have Pulled Out Of Pakistan Tour - Misbah ul Haq

Sri Lanka have landed in Pakistan to play three-match T20I and ODI series each starting from September 27 (Friday). Meanwhile, top Sri Lankan cricketers have backed out from the tour citing security reasons. Newly-appointed Pakistan head coach Misbah ul Haq feels they should not have backed out from the series.

10 Sri Lanka players have pulled out of the upcoming tour of Pakistan, citing security fears. The list includes T20I skipper Lasith Malinga and ODI captain Dimuth Karunaratne along with senior all-rounder Angelo Mathews.

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Pakistan had been an isolated destination for international cricket since the 2009 terrorist attack in which gunmen targetted a Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore, leaving several cricketers injured. Minnows Zimbabwe were the last team to visit Pakistan for an ODI series in 2015.

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Speaking two days prior to that start of the series, Pakistan coach Misbah ul Haq said that the players should have thought about it considering the government giving them full security. Besides, he also spoke about the importance of players security.

“Being a cricketer everyone’s life is very precious,” Misbah said on Wednesday. “We are also here, rest of the players are also here … I think they should have had considered it when the government is giving assurances,” he added.

Top teams across the world have avoided Pakistan since the 2009 attack as the Men in Greens play their home games in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Misbah ul Haq many sides will Sri Lanka and visit Pakistan in the future as they are desperately trying to come back to the cricketing map.

“Pakistan is not a cricketing nation which should be sidelined from cricket,” he said. “It has a rich history, we had won the T20 World Cup, we had been the No. 1 test team in the world, we had won the 50 overs World Cup. Pakistan is a big team, everyone should think about it,” Misbah concluded.

Karachi will host all the games which commence from September 27 and run until October 9.

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