Eight Sri Lankan Cricketers decides to return home after the gruesome Bomb Blast in Islamabad.

The ongoing Sri Lanka – Pakistan Cricket Series suffers a traumatic jolt, as the visiting Sri Lankan Team decides to postpone the series, and return to their homeland after the deadly suicide bomb that has rocked the Capital City Islamabad on Tuesday, 11th November, 2025.

It was reported that 08 Sri Lankan Cricketers of the 16 member squad has opted for return today – Thursday, 13th November, 2025, citing security concerns. The players have decided to return home, just a few hours ahead of the second ODI.

Sri Lanka Cricket sources reported that the players have threatened to skip the ODI series with Pakistan ahead of the second ODI on Thursday in Rawalpindi, which is likely to be postponed. Although there has been no formal decision by the Sri Lankan board, sources close to the team indicate that initially the players were keen in remaining with their team to play all their matches after Pakistan’s authorities assured them of their safety.

Earlier the SLC threatened the players with a 02 years ban in case they pulled out of the tour, but that did not stop the players from deciding to return home. “Some board members believe that players should be penalised if they break ranks and decide to return without playing“, as sources asserted.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Sri Lankan players in their Islamabad hotel and assured them of full security arrangements. After the bilateral series, Sri Lanka are scheduled to take part in a Tri-series also involving the hosts and Zimbabwe, starting on November 19th. Pakistan Cricket Board sources claimed that in the worst-case scenario, the board can reschedule the tri-series to a later date.

Earlier, there were rumours that the Charith Asalanka led team was on its way back home following a suicide blast which left 12 people killed and several injured on Tuesday. A terrorist attack at a Cadet Academy in Wana in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday also raised security concerns. The second and third matches are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday, also in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi, also the Interior Minister of the country, met Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Rear Admiral (R) Fred Siriweera, at his office on Wednesday afternoon to remove all fears on security.

Sources said the Sri Lankan High Commissioner praised the efforts and showed satisfaction over the arrangements. Though initially the players wanted to continue, they met in the team hotel and later eight of them decided they wanted to return home.

Sri Lanka has a bitter history of being a target of Pakistan. Their team bus was attacked by gunmen near the Gaddafi stadium on 03rd March 2009, wherein 07 Sri Lankan players were injured while 08 policemen were killed in those attacks. The tour was abandoned, and international cricket remained suspended in Pakistan until 2015.

Since then, Pakistan has hosted England, South Africa, and New Zealand on multiple occasions, while Australia also toured here in 2022 for the first time in 24 years.

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