ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi Thursday said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir personally helped mediate with Sri Lankan officials, leading to the decision by Sri Lanka’s cricket team to continue their stay in Pakistan for the ongoing series.
The Sri Lankan cricket board confirmed late Wednesday that its team would go ahead with the scheduled matches, defusing tension after reports suggested that several players were considering returning home following Tuesday’s deadly suicide attack in Islamabad.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Naqvi, who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said, “Our field marshal personally spoke with their defence minister and secretary, giving them complete assurances about security.”
He mentioned that after the blast, the Sri Lankan team had initially decided to fly back home. “We immediately engaged with them, and eventually, their board and players showed great courage by deciding to stay,” Naqvi said, adding that the visiting team’s concerns were addressed with great care.
The minister further noted that Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had also intervened, encouraging the team to carry on with their tour. He credited Field Marshal Munir’s direct involvement as a decisive factor behind the team’s decision.
Naqvi added that now their security is being handled jointly by the Pakistan Army, Rangers, and Islamabad police, with the same level of protection and protocol that we extend to state guests.
He also mentioned that the Zimbabwean team had arrived in Pakistan, with the remaining matches scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi.
The suicide bombing in Islamabad on Tuesday, which claimed 12 lives and injured 36 others, occurred just hours before the first One-Day International (ODI) between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was to begin in Rawalpindi.
In the aftermath, reports emerged suggesting that some Sri Lankan players wanted to return home. While the team’s manager initially denied these reports, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) later admitted that several members had indeed expressed safety concerns.
Read More: Sri Lankan Team Considers Returning Home, Naqvi Assures of Fool-proof Security
“SLC immediately reached out to the players and assured them that all security concerns were being addressed in close coordination with the PCB and relevant authorities to ensure everyone’s safety,” the board said in a statement.
The SLC also stated that replacement players would be sent if any team member chose to leave, ensuring the tour would continue without interruption.
Following these developments, the PCB rescheduled the remaining two ODIs to November 14 and 16, each delayed by one day. Additionally, the upcoming T20I tri-nation series — also featuring Zimbabwe — has been shifted from Lahore to Rawalpindi and will now run from November 18 to 29.
A day after the attack, Naqvi, along with the Islamabad chief commissioner and police chief, met with Sri Lankan High Commissioner (Retd) Rear Admiral Fred Seneviratne. They briefed him on the enhanced security measures for the visiting team, which the envoy later described as satisfactory.
