It Is Our Duty To Help Pakistan, Says Sri Lanka’s Batting Coach

Oct 30, 2017 at 1:54 PM

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It Is Our Duty To Help Pakistan, Says Sri Lanka’s Batting Coach

Hashan Tillakaratne, Sri Lanka’s Batting Coach, feels it was Sri Lanka’s duty to help Pakistan as the Islanders kept aside security concerns to visit the visit the country for the just-concluded third and final T20 International.

Pakistan along with India had come forward to help Sri Lanka when they were in danger of having all their 1996 World Cup group games shifted away from home after Australia and West Indies refused to tour the country after a deadly bomb blast. However, Sri Lanka had gone on to host Kenya and Zimbabwe at home after a joint India-Pakistan team played the Islanders in a friendly match, dispelling the security concerns.

Tillakaratne, who has some happy memories associated with the county, feels it was the right time for Sri Lanka to return the favour.

“I have had some great memories here. The World Cup victory in 1996 was here and that’s the happiest day in my life,” he told Cricbuzz. “I remember we stayed in this very hotel in 1996. It has not changed much. The support the people of Pakistan gave us that night was tremendous. When we landed for the World Cup final, people were standing on roads and gave us a warm welcome. I had no hesitation to come down to Pakistan. It’s the right thing to do. It is our duty to help Pakistan.”

Sri Lanka were happy with the security arrangements in Pakistan (Credits: Twitter)

“We faced a similar predicament in 1996 soon after the Central Bank bombing. Had the joint India-Pakistan teams not played that game, our cricket wouldn’t have survived. Not only the West Indies and Australia games would have been shifted, even Zimbabwe and Kenya would have refused to come. It would have been similar to what happened to us in 1987. A bomb went off when the New Zealand team was in Colombo and for the next five years we had no cricket at home. We suffered enough,” Tillakaratne added.

With the exception of Zimbabwe in 2015, no team had visited Pakistan since 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus. However, the situations are taking a pleasant turn this year, and Sri Lanka’s visit is going to be a big step in Pakistan’s hopes of reviving international cricket in the country.

A Faf du Plessis-led World XI side visited Pakistan for a three-match T20I series (Credits: AFP)

Tillakaratne further urged other countries to come out and help Pakistan too and also assured that there is absolutely no reason to fear while touring the country.

“Our duty is to come and help Pakistan. We are brothers in arms. This is a historical moment for Pakistan and my message to other cricket playing nations is that to come and play in Pakistan,” said Tillakaratne.

Pakistan won the third and final T20I by 36 runs to seal the series 3-0 (Credits: Twitter)

“We have enjoyed our stay in Lahore so far. We were provided a bullet proof vehicle and the welcome was superb. The security that we are given is unbelievable. There is no reason for anyone to fear touring Pakistan.”

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