COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s proposed cricket tour to Pakistan remained on hold as Sri Lanka Cricket sought clearance from the government before committing itself further.
Sri Lanka Cricket sources stated that the tour has not been finalized yet as there were a few things that needed to be cleared before it could take place.
It is learnt that Sri Lanka has received two sets of itineraries from the Pakistan Cricket Board which they will have to study and put it before the Executive Committee to finalise.
The tour is scheduled to take place in September-October. One set is for the ODI and T20I series to be played in Pakistan and the other for the two Tests which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship to be played in the UAE.
The UAE has been Pakistan’s home base since international cricket teams stopped touring that country following a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan tour bus in 2009.
Quite recently Sri Lanka sent a four-member delegation headed by SLC secretary Mohan de Silva to study and report on the security situation in Pakistan.
The Sri Lankan delegation visited the grounds and hotels where the teams will stay in Karachi and Lahore besides meeting the board, police and security officials.
According to SLC sources, the report has been positive. SLC is hopeful that a final decision on the tour will be reached by next week.
