Pak minister says India threatened Sri Lanka players to pull out of Pakistan tour
A day after 10 Sri Lankan cricket players opted out of the forthcoming tour to Pakistan over security concerns, Pakistan's minister Chaudhary Fawad Hussain has claimed that India had threatened the players, forcing them to take the step.
Pakistan Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Hussain tweeted: "Informed sports commentators told me that India threatened SL players that they 'll be ousted from IPL if they don't refuse Pak visit, this is really cheap tactic, jingoism from sports to space is something we must condemn, really cheap on the part of Indian sports authorities (sic)".
Informed sports commentators told me that India threatened SL players that they ll be ousted from IPL if they don’t refuse Pak visit, this is really cheap tactic, jingoism from sports to space is something we must condemn, really cheap on the part of Indian sports authorities
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) September 10, 2019
Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga is also among the ten players who have pulled out of the upcoming tour of Pakistan, citing security issues.
Other players who have opted out of the tour of Pakistan are Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Janith Perera, Dhananjaya De Silva, Thisara Perera, Akila Dhananjaya, Angelo Mathews, Suranga Lakmal, Dinesh Chandimal, and Dimuth Karunaratne.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) held a meeting with the players to inform them about the security arrangements before the selectors sit for the selection of squads.
