Sri Lanka Sends '2009 Lahore Attack' Message To Pakistan Over T20 World Cup Row

T20 World Cup 2026 co-hosts Sri Lanka have requested that Pakistan reconsider its decision to boycott the group stage match against India in Colombo on February 15. The Pakistan government announced that its national team will take part in the competition but will not play the match against India. Amid the standoff between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) stands to lose substantial revenue from ticket sales if the match does not take place. In a formal letter, Sri Lanka requested Pakistan to not boycott the fixture and play the match as scheduled. (IND vs ENG, U19 World Cup Final Live)

"We write to you with reference to recent media reports through which Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has been apprised of the position of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in relation to Pakistan's participation in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. From the said reports, it is understood that the PCB has confirmed that its National Team will participate in the tournament, with all matches involving Pakistan scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka. At the same time, it has also been reported that a decision has been taken not to participate in the India vs Pakistan match scheduled to be played on 15 February 2026 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo," the letter read, according to Hindustan Times.

"In this regard, we wish to place on record that Sri Lanka is highly anticipating the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, particularly in its capacity as a host venue for matches assigned to Sri Lanka. All commercial, operational, logistical, and security-related arrangements in respect of these matches have already been finalized. This includes, inter alia, hospitality planning and the sale of match tickets," the letter added.

Sri Lanka also reminded Pakistan that they were among the first major teams to tour Pakistan following the 2009 attack in Lahore. International matches did not take place in Pakistan for a long period following the attack on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009. In the letter, SLC also noted that despite some players wanting to return home after the suicide bomb attack in Islamabad in 2025, SLC decided to honor its commitment to complete the tour.

"In this context, we respectfully recall that Sri Lanka Cricket and the Sri Lanka National Team have, on several occasions, toured Pakistan and participated in international fixtures notwithstanding exceptionally challenging and sensitive circumstances, including serious security-related incidents. These have included, inter alia, the attack on the national team convoy, as a result of which certain Sri Lankan players and officials sustained injuries, some of whom continue to carry physical impacts from those injuries to date, while others were left with profound and lasting psychological trauma. In more recent instances, further security incidents, including bombings in the region, placed additional emotional and professional strain on team members, with some compelled to contemplate withdrawal from ongoing engagements," the SLC wrote.

"Notwithstanding the gravity of these circumstances, Sri Lanka Cricket, in close coordination with the Government of Sri Lanka, remained steadfast in its support of Pakistan and the Pakistan Cricket Board, and continued to honor its commitments to international cricket in the broader interests of the game and international solidarity, at times when several other cricketing nations were hesitant or unwilling to tour Pakistan," the letter added.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Sri Lanka Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team BCCI International Cricket Council Pakistan Cricket Board T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket