Pakistan army to protect Sri Lankan cricketers

Pakistan has deployed army and paramilitary forces to protect Sri Lanka’s cricket team after a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad raised security concerns during their ongoing tour, the interior minister said.

Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir had assured Sri Lankan Defense Minister of the team’s safety, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told parliament in a live televised transmission.

“Our army and paramilitary are deployed for the Sri Lankan team’s security,” he added.

Naqvi said the Sri Lankan players had expressed serious concerns about staying in Pakistan following the bombing but those had been addressed.

“The Sri Lankan president personally spoke to the (cricket) team yesterday and encouraged them to play,” Naqvi added.

The cricket stadium and the hotel where the Sri Lanka team is staying are both less than 10 km from the site of the bombing.

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board said on Wednesday that several players had asked to return home after the blast, the first attack on civilians in the capital in a decade.

The board instructed the team to stay, saying Pakistan’s authorities had given “foolproof” security guarantees. It did not respond to a request for further comment on Thursday.

The board said players who opted to return early would face a formal review to assess their actions.

Sri Lanka are playing a three-match one-day series in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, followed by a Twenty20 tri-series involving Zimbabwe.