Sri Lanka Cricket held a meeting yesterday at the SLC headquarters with the players who were chosen as part of a preliminary squad to select the team to Pakistan for 3 ODIs and 3 T20I matches.The meeting was aimed at informing the players about the security arrangements, during the forthcoming tour and also to find out their ‘decision’ (either taking part or not), before selectors sat to select the squads for the ODI and T20I series.
Former Sri Lanka Air Force Commander, Marshal Air Roshan Goonetileke, who is the Chief Security Advisor of the SLC, briefed the players about the security situation in Pakistan and the security arrangements PCB plans on implementing during Sri Lanka team’s tour of that country, whilst chairman of selectors Asantha de Mel, explained about the selection policy for future tours.
He said, players will be given the freedom to decide on either taking part or not in the forthcoming Pakistan tour.Following the meeting with the players the selectors decided to pick the two squads for Pakistan from the remaining 20 players.The two teams have been sent to the Sports Minister for ratification.Sri Lanka play a series of three ODI’s at Karachi on September 27, 29 and October 3 and three T20Is at Lahore on October 5, 7 and 9.Since the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in Lahore international teams have been reluctant to tour Pakistan.