8 Sri Lanka cricketers to leave Pakistan following Islamabad blast, second ODI to be called off

Eight members of the Sri Lankan cricket team touring Pakistan for a three-match ODI series are set to return home on Thursday after raising safety concerns following a deadly bomb blast in Islamabad, which killed 12 people and injured several others, according to sources from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

The incident has directly impacted the ongoing series, with the second ODI, scheduled in Rawalpindi on Thursday, now unlikely to take place. Pakistan had narrowly won the first ODI at the



same venue on Tuesday by six runs.

SLC sources revealed that the players’ decision to leave is largely due to the close proximity of Rawalpindi to Islamabad, where the explosion occurred. The SLC has also confirmed that replacements will be sent to maintain the team’s lineup for upcoming fixtures. The Sri Lankan squad was expected to play a triangular series following the ODIs, featuring Pakistan and Zimbabwe. However, the current security concern put that in jeopardy as well.