Our Bureau
Colombo
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has invoked the 2009 Lahore terror attack on its team to urge Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott the India–Pakistan group‑stage clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. In a two‑page letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), SLC reminded Islamabad of its own “terror‑linked past” and the security failures that once drove international cricket away from Pakistan for over a decade.
The letter pointedly recalled the March 2009 ambush on the Sri Lankan team convoy in Lahore, when heavily armed militants attacked buses carrying players and officials, killing several security personnel and leaving multiple cricketers injured. SLC noted that its players still live with the physical scars and psychological trauma from that incident, which became emblematic of Pakistan’s struggle to contain terror networks operating on its soil.
SLC also highlighted that it was among the first major cricketing nations to tour Pakistan after the 2009 attack, even as other boards shied away from sending teams due to security fears. The board stressed that it continued touring despite subsequent security incidents, including a suicide bombing in Islamabad in 2025, arguing that this demonstrated Sri Lanka’s commitment to “international solidarity” and the broader interests of the game.
The letter implicitly contrasts Sri Lanka’s past support with Pakistan’s current refusal to separate sport from politics. SLC warned that a boycott of the India match could trigger heavy financial and tourism losses for Sri Lanka, as commercial, hospitality and ticket‑sale arrangements for the marquee fixture have already been finalised.
