A complete of 16 Sri Lankan gamers have determined to give up the Pakistan tour halfway after a suicide bombing incident in Islamabad. This comes as a significant embarrassment for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its chief Mohsin Naqvi, who additionally occurs to be the inside minister of Pakistan.
Notably, a suicide bombing happened in Islamabad, roughly 17 km away from the Stadium the place Pakistan and Sri Lanka had been to play the first ODI match on Monday. Regardless of the assault, the match went on and Pakistan received the opening sport by 6 runs.
Mohsin Naqvi personally went to consolation Sri Lanka
As per stories in Pakistani media, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi personally met the Lankan gamers and workforce administration after the first ODI and guaranteed full-proof safety for your complete touring celebration.
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It is price noting that Cricket groups in Pakistan obtain Presidential-level safety after worldwide cricket began returning to the nation publish a decade-long hiatus. By the way, it was Sri Lanka in 2009 that was the final touring workforce to Pakistan earlier than the worldwide cricket lockdown occurred within the nation.
This occurred because the Lankan workforce suffered a terrorist assault, and cricket followers can always remember the photographs of Lankan gamers being airlifted from the stadium itself. This led to a whole shutdown of worldwide cricket in Pakistan.
Even the Pakistan Tremendous League, Pakistan’s official T20 Franchise League Match, needed to be launched within the UAE in 2016 because the UAE had change into the bottom for Pakistan’s worldwide cricket affairs for the reason that 2009 incident.
Suicide bombing rocks Islamabad
A serious suicide bombing happened in Islamabad close to the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the place the two groups had been scheduled to play the first ODI of the 3-match collection. Regardless of the assault, the match went on and completed in common time.
Nonetheless, after the match, panic gripped the Sri Lankan workforce as they could have had flashbacks of the 2009 tour. The observe periods of each the Pakistan and the Lankan groups had been cancelled earlier than the 2nd ODI on Thursday.
Additionally Learn: Naseem Shah’s home bombed with heavy firing, participant sucked into taking part in for Pakistan
Then stories began rising that the Lankan gamers usually are not prepared to hold on the tour, given the horrific circumstances in Pakistan. As quickly as this information got here out, PCB officers and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officers started talking and comforting the gamers.
All of the efforts had been put in place by each the boards to make sure the sleek continuation of the tour. Nonetheless, the vast majority of the Lankan taking part in contingent couldn’t be satisfied, and so they determined to fly again to the nation.
SLC will prepare for a substitute workforce
It has come to gentle that the Lankan Cricket Board will now prepare for a separate workforce that may fly to Pakistan and full the rest of the tour. Nonetheless, this is not going to be a straightforward job for the board, because the returning gamers will certainly transient the opposite gamers concerning the worsening scenario.
Breaking- Sixteen Sri Lankan gamers touring Pakistan have determined to return residence following a suicide bomb blast in Islamabad.In consequence, tomorrow’s second ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan is not going to be performed.Sri Lanka Cricket plans to ship a substitute workforce to proceed the…
— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) November 12, 2025
Pakistan had received the first ODI of the 3-match collection scheduled on the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium by 6 runs. Salman Ali Agha was awarded the Man of the Match for his all-round contribution within the sport.
Aside from him, Haris Rauf was again to his greatest with 4 wickets to his title. For the visiting Sri Lankan workforce, Wanindu Hasaranga fought exhausting first with the ball after which with the bat.
Nonetheless, his workforce couldn’t cross the ending line and would have cherished to win the remaining video games to seize the collection of their kitty. Now, this cancellation once more casts a darkish shadow over worldwide cricket in Pakistan.
Worldwide cricket’s future is in darkness in Pakistan
Earlier this yr, each IPL and PSL needed to be stopped halfway after violent navy clashes erupted between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror assault in India. After that, Pakistan needed to face defeat by India within the Asia Cup 2025, together with the ultimate.
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi was embarrassed by the Indian workforce as they refused to gather the trophy from him after successful the Asia Cup 2025. This got here from the workforce’s high management with the total assist of BCCI.
In fury, Mohsin Naqvi took the Trophy together with him, and the successful Indian workforce has but to obtain its trophy from the ACC President. Within the lately concluded ICC assembly in Dubai, BCCI and PCB had been working to unravel the impasse.
Now, the sudden abandonment of the tour by the Sri Lankan workforce isn’t solely an egg on the face of PCB but additionally its chairman, who holds a robust political place in his nation.
