Mohsin Naqvi’s ‘Folded Hands Gesture’ As Sri Lanka Players Save Pakistan From Embarrassment
The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka ODI series escaped an episode of huge embarrassment after the touring players decided to withdraw their decision to return home over security concerns. The crisis followed a suicide blast in Islamabad on Tuesday, which killed 12 people. It occurred just before the first One-Day International match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was to start in Rawalpindi. Understandably concerned about their safety, as many as 8 Sri Lankan players reportedly decided to return home before their cricket board stepped in and convinced them to stay.
Thanking the Sri Lankan team for their U-turn, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi arrived on the training ground on Thursday, thanked the visiting players for their decision, preventing major embarrassment for Pakistan.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi personally thanked each Sri Lankan player for continuing their tour of Pakistan.. A truly commendable gesture by the Chairman himself! #PAKvSL
pic.twitter.com/WuroWlgxPA
— Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) November 13, 2025
The Lankan team’s security concerns were a result of historical trauma. The touring islanders survived a terrorist attack in 2009 when the bus carrying them to the Gaddafi Cricket stadium in Lahore was attacked by gunmen, in which six cricketers were injured, while six Pakistani police personnel and two civilians were killed.
How Pakistan’s military chief salvaged the situation
Pakistan military chief directly intervened to salvage the tour of the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team following the suicide attack in Islamabad, the interior ministry said.
Mohsin Naqvi told the Senate that Field Marshal Asim Munir facilitated the talks with Sri Lankan top officials, when the Lankan cricketers showed weariness to play after the attack.
Sri Lanka’s cricket board said late last night that its team’s ongoing tour of Pakistan will proceed, following the high-level exchanges that saved the situation for Pakistan.
“Our field marshal himself spoke to their defence minister, secretary, and convinced them and assured them fully of [providing] security,” Naqvi, also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, said while speaking on the Senate floor.
Naqvi recalled that the Sri Lankan team yesterday “decided to return after the bomb blast occurred”.
“Our interaction with them began, their board, players and everyone decided with great bravery to stay here,” the PCB chairman added.
“They had many concerns, but we tried to allay all of those,” Naqvi said, highlighting that Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke with his country’s team to convince them.
With PTI Inputs
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