Mohsin Naqvi 'grateful' after Sri Lanka decide to continue Pakistan tour amid safety concerns

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi expressed gratitude towards the Sri Lankan team after the board of the island country decided to continue with their ongoing tour of Pakistan amid looming safety concerns following a suicide bombing outside an Islamabad court.

Several Sri Lankan players reportedly wanted to leave Pakistan after the deadly blast, which killed 12 and injured 27 more. However, Sri Lanka Cricket remained adamant that the series would go on as per schedule and if any of the players leave, they will face action.

The Sri Lankan board also said that in case any of the selected player leaves, it will send replacements to ensure the tour continues without interruption.

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Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan, welcomed the decision.

“Grateful to the Sri Lankan team for their decision to continue the Pakistan tour,” Naqvi posted on X.

“The ODI matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played on 14th and 16th November in Rawalpindi. The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines bright," he added.

PAK vs SL: Change in schedule

With the security situation in sight, PCB revised the schedule for the ODI series against Sri Lanka and the following tri-series also involving Zimbabwe.

The remaining two ODIs will now be played on 14th and 16th November, 2025 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium (RCS), while the T20I Tri-Nation series will also be held in Rawalpindi, from 18 to 29 November.

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“The decision to revise the schedule was made in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), following mutual discussions to accommodate operational and match requirements,” PCB said on Thursday.

Sri Lankan cricket team bus had suffered a terrorist attack in 2009 in Lahore. Since that attack till 2019, no international team visited Pakistan. Sri Lanka broke the deadlock in 2019 and since then, Pakistan has been hosting international cricket regularly.