Sri Lanka’s cricketers have been assured of presidential level security when they travel to Pakistan later this month for the third and final T-20 International. Sri Lanka have accepted a proposal by Pakistan Cricket Board to return to the country to help PCB revive cricket. International cricket teams have refused to tour Pakistan after the Sri Lankan team came under a terrorist attack injuring several players and support staff.
Visit the HUB – Sri Lanka v Pakistan 2017
While the PCB has incurred heavy losses by staging their home matches in neutral venues like Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, their former greats like Waqar Younis and Inzamam-ul-Haq have spoken during the current series about how lack of international cricket has badly affected Pakistan.
“My message to the Sri Lankan cricket team is that they will be provided presidential level security,” Talat Ali, the former Pakistan opener and the current team Manager told ThePapare.com.
“When the World XI was in Lahore recently for three games, they couldn’t believe the security they were given. Once Sri Lanka come and play in Pakistan, it will help us to bring in other teams as well,” Ali, who played ten Test matches between 1972 and 1979 added.
Ali was impressed with the fight the Sri Lankan team showed during the Test series which they won 2-0 to end Pakistan’s unbeaten run at home since 2007. Sri Lanka won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by 21 runs and the second Test in Dubai by 68 runs.
“In both games there were so many fluctuations and it was an evenly contested series. In the second Test, we were 52 for five and the fight shown by Asad (Shafiq) and Sarfraz (Ahmed) was tremendous. We were so close, but then again chasing 300 runs in the fourth innings of a Test match is tough. Sri Lanka deserve lot of credit. The way they bowled in the first Test when they had to defend only 136 was superb. I couldn’t digest that we couldn’t finish off that game. We should have scored 136. From that game onwards, they didn’t look back. I was told before this series they were not up to the standards, but here they were super against us and it was great to watch.”
Ali also had special praise for veteran spinner Rangana Herath, who went onto become the second Sri Lankan and the first left-arm spinner ever to claim 400 Test wickets. “I rate Rangana as the next best left-arm spinner after Bishan Singh Bedi. Taking 400 wickets is no mean task. His spell in the second innings in Abu Dhabi was fantastic to watch.
Ali was also Pakistan’s Manager when they went onto win the Champions Trophy in England. Pakistan arrived in England ranked eighth for the eight nation tournament and knocked Sri Lanka out of the competition in the last group game in Cardiff.
Needing 237 to win, Pakistan had been reduced to 137 for six. Sri Lanka had the game in the big but then some sloppy fielding let Pakistan off the hook and they went onto complete a stunning three wicket win with captain Sarfraz Ahmed making an unbeaten 61.
“We were 140 for seven when Sarfraz and Amir were in. I have no idea how Thisara Perera dropped that catch. Then there was a run out and another catch dropped. We were lucky to scrape through. I was confident the moment Perera dropped Sarfraz that we were not going to lose that contest.
Prior to the competition, defending champions India and hosts England were the tournament favourites, but Pakistan upset all predictions. They comprehensively beat England in the semi-final in Cardiff and stunned India in the final completing a massive 180 run win at The Oval.
“We had a decent series in West Indies prior to that winning all three formats. That gave us confidence. Then we arrived in England 15 days prior to the competition and had a good preparation. We didn’t start off well, but with bit of luck we went on to the final. In the final, we beat India handsomely.”
It was Pakistan’s third ICC event victory following the 1992 World Cup win under Imran Khan and the 2009 World T-20 win under Younis Khan.
The first ODI against Sri Lanka in Dubai on Friday is their first game since winning the Champions Trophy.
