Security Fears Loom Over Sri Lankan Tour Amid Islamabad Blast

Eight Sri Lankan cricket players on their Pakistan tour have expressed a desire to return home due to security threats following a bombing in Islamabad. Despite these concerns, Sri Lanka Cricket has urged the team to continue. Security has been heightened, but the situation raises doubts about ongoing matches.

Eight players from the Sri Lankan cricket team, currently in Pakistan for a three-match ODI series, seek to return home due to security concerns after a deadly blast in Islamabad claimed 12 lives and injured several others.

The second ODI, slated for Thursday in Rawalpindi, faces uncertainty amid heightened security concerns. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has acknowledged the players' request but directed them and the support staff to continue the tour for now.

Efforts to address safety issues are ongoing, and security has been intensified with the Pakistan Army and paramilitary forces involved. The backdrop of this incident recalls the tragic 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, a key reason foreign teams avoided playing in Pakistan for years.

(With inputs from agencies.)