ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday revealed that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir personally intervened to help ensure Sri Lanka’s cricket team stayed in Pakistan following Tuesday’s suicide bombing in Islamabad.
Speaking in the Senate, Naqvi said the Sri Lankan side had initially decided to return home after the blast but was persuaded to continue the tour after assurances of top-level security. “Our field marshal himself spoke to their defence minister and secretary, convincing them of Pakistan’s commitment to ensure safety,” he said.
Naqvi added that Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also played a role in reassuring the team. “They had many concerns, but we addressed them all. Their players and board decided bravely to stay,” he noted.
The suicide attack, which killed 12 people and injured 36, occurred hours before the first ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. Reports initially suggested some Sri Lankan players wanted to return home, though the team’s management later confirmed they would continue the tour after coordination with the PCB and Pakistan’s security agencies.
Naqvi said the Pakistan Army, Rangers, and Islamabad Police are jointly handling the team’s security “with full state protocol.” He added that Zimbabwe’s team has also arrived for the upcoming tri-nation T20I series, which has been shifted from Lahore to Rawalpindi and will run from November 18 to 29.
