Pakistan Army Chief Reassures Sri Lanka On Cricket Team Security: Minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, said on Thursday that Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had reassured Sri Lankan officials about security, helping persuade the visiting cricket team to remain in Pakistan following a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad.

Speaking on the Senate flood, Minister Naqvi said that Field Marshal Munir spoke with Sri Lanka’s defence minister and other senior officials on Wednesday.

“He spoke to their defence minister, secretary and convinced them and assured them fully of [providing] security,” Naqvi said on the Senate floor. He added that the intervention played a key role in the visiting team’s decision to stay.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) late on Wednesday said the tour would continue despite reports that some players had sought to return home after Tuesday’s attack.

The SLC said it had engaged with players and assured them that their concerns were being addressed “in close coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board and the relevant authorities”.

The team’s manager told Geo News that “no player is returning home” and confirmed all Sri Lankan players would remain in Pakistan.

The SLC added that if any player still chose to depart, replacements would be sent immediately and that those who returned could face a formal review after the tour.

Schedule Update🏏
The Sri Lanka Tour of Pakistan 2025 gets an update — check out the revised ODI and T20I fixtures 🇱🇰🇵🇰#SLvPAK #SLvZIM #SriLankaCricket pic.twitter.com/bXcE37BMFR

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) November 13, 2025

State guest level protocol

Naqvi said security for the Sri Lankan team had been stepped up. He said the Pakistan Army, Rangers and Islamabad police were jointly managing security. “We are providing them the same kind of protocol and security as they are our state guests,” he said.

The minister also recalled that the Sri Lankan side initially decided to leave after the blast, but Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, spoke with the squad to urge them to stay. Naqvi described the team’s choice to continue as an act of “great bravery”.

Matches rescheduled

The PCB announced a revised schedule on Thursday. The remaining One-Day Internationals (ODIs) between Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been postponed by a day and will now be played on 14 and 16 November in Rawalpindi. The PCB said earlier that matches scheduled for 13 and 15 November would be shifted.

The board also moved a planned T20I tri-nation tournament, involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, from Lahore to Rawalpindi.

Revised schedule 📢

🏏 T20I tri-nation series to begin on 18 November
🏟️ Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/5ZsfgPNXHO #PAKvSL | #PAKvZIM pic.twitter.com/hnKadesbTH

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 13, 2025

The tri-series will run from 18 to 29 November, with all seven group matches and the final at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Minister Naqvi, in a post on X, announced that the matches — earlier set to take place on November 13 and 15 — would not be staged on November 14 and 16.

Grateful to the Sri Lankan team for their decision to continue the Pakistan tour 🇵🇰🇱🇰.
The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines bright.
The ODI matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played on 14th and 16th November in Rawalpindi.#PakistanCricket #PAKvSL

— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) November 12, 2025

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar thanked the Sri Lankan team for staying and said Pakistan was “honoured by your presence”.

My heartfelt gratitude to the Sri Lankan Cricket Team for their visit to Pakistan and for always supporting the game of cricket. Keep up the sportsman spirit. We are honoured by your presence
🇵🇰🇱🇰#FriendshipNotOut

— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) November 12, 2025

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also expressed gratitude for the team’s decision and wished them well.

Our special thanks to the Sri Lankan Cricket Team for their visit and for a good display of cricket. Our best wishes and gratitude #FriendshipNotOut

— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) November 12, 2025

The Zimbabwe cricket team had already arrived in Pakistan and that the remainder of the matches would be held in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, during a session of the lower house, expressed gratitude to the Sri Lankan government, defence minister, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), and the visiting players for continuing their tour.

Tuesday’s suicide bombing in Islamabad killed 12 people and wounded dozens. The attack occurred hours before the first ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was due to start in Rawalpindi. Despite the blast, the match went ahead as scheduled.