Despite Naqvi’s Promise, 2 Sri Lanka Stars Return From Pakistan Citing ‘Illness’ | Cricket News

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka (R) with Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi. (AP)

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka and fast-bowler Asitha Fernando will return home from the tour of Pakistan citing ‘illness’. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced the development, confirming that they won’t participate in the upcoming tri-series featuring Pakistan and Zimbabwe, on Monday, without any details.

Former captain and all-rounder Dasun Shanaka has been appointed the interim skipper, while Fernando has been replaced by Pavan Rathnayake.

“Two Players Returning Home: Captain Charith Asalanka and fast bowler Asitha Fernando, both suffering from illness, will return home. The two players will not take part in the upcoming tri-series featuring Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe,” wrote SLC on ‘X’.

“This precautionary decision ensures they receive proper care and sufficient time to recover ahead of future assignments. Dasun Shanaka to Captain With Asalanka unavailable. Pavan Rathnayake has been added to the T20I squad as a replacement,” it added.

It comes only days after several players of the team wanted to return home due to security concerns following a deadly suicide attack in Islamabad, which killed 12 and injured several others. It rekindled the horrific memories of the major 2009 terror attack, where the Sri Lankan team bus was targeted by 12 gunmen in Lahore, leaving several members wounded and many security personnel dead.

They were convinced to stay by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, with security assurances coming right from Field Marshal Asim Munir.

“Our field marshal himself spoke to their defence minister, secretary and convinced them and assured them fully of [providing] security,” Naqvi said at the time, while speaking on the Senate floor, as quoted by news agency PTI. “Our interaction with them began, their board, players, and everyone decided with great bravery to stay here. They had many concerns, but we tried to allay all of those,” Naqvi said.

Following Munir’s intervention, the government handed over the security of the Sri Lankan team to the Pakistan military forces.

Pakistan’s second and third ODIs against Sri Lanka have each been delayed by a day, now set for November 14 and 16 in Rawalpindi. The PCB has also moved the T20I tri-series opener to November 18 and shifted the entire event to Rawalpindi due to security concerns. The second match of the seven-game series was likewise pushed to November 20, with all boards agreeing to abandon Lahore as a venue.