When the Sri Lanka national cricket team embarked on a return tour of Pakistan this November—playing a three-match ODI series followed by a triangular T20 event with Zimbabwe national cricket team—the cloud of security risk loomed larger than the sport itself. A suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed 12 people mere hours ahead of a scheduled match ignited fears among players and staƯ. Reports surfaced that several Sri Lankan players were pressing to leave the tour immediately. Yet the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board issued a stern ultimatum: the squad must stay, or face formal review. The anxiety is hardly unfounded. The uneasy memories of March 2009 remain fresh: gunmen ambushed the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore en route to the Gaddafi Stadium, leaving six players wounded and forcing an international teams-boycott of Pakistan for years. That attack shattered confidence in Pakistan’s ability to safely host visiting sides—and now, sixteen years later, history seems to echo. 2009 Lahore Attack — A Grim PrecedentOn 3 March 2009, a convoy carrying the Sri Lankan side to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore was ambushed by 12 gunmen employing AK-47s, RPGs and grenades. Pakistani police and civilians died in the attack; six Sri Lankan cricketers were wounded. International cricket eƯectively left Pakistan for nearly a decade as teams refused to tour. That incident remains the primal scar in the nation’s cricketing diplomacy. Then and Now — The Chasm in Security Reality Fast-forward to late 2025: while Pakistan has ostensibly regained international cricket, the underlying environment is fraught with renewed peril. According to the latest Institute for Economics and Peace Global Terrorism Index, Pakistan climbed to second-most terrorismaƯected country in 2025, with terrorism-related deaths rising by 45 % in 2024 and attacks more than doubling from 517 in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024. The outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) carried out 482 attacks resulting in 558 deaths, a near-91 % rise over the previous year. Meanwhile, regional conflict along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and in Balochistan has intensified, with insurgent groups claiming attacks, hijackings and major sabotage operations. In short: the security premise that allowed Pakistan to host international teams post-2019 appears to be eroding anew. The Islamabad bombing near the Sri Lankan match venue underscores just how vulnerable even high-profile tours are. While Pakistani authorities quickly assured visiting boards and ramped up security around the Sri Lankan squad, the fact an attack happened just kilometres from a stadium raises doubt about the robustness of the protection. Under Such circumstances, Sri Lanka Cricket must prioritise player safety through independent security assessments, transparent communication, and clear evacuation protocols. Players should have the freedom to withdraw without penalty if threats escalate. The board must coordinate closely with Pakistan Cricket Board and international security experts, ensuring controlled logistics, secure movement, and contingency plans to relocate matches if the security situation deteriorates.
