Lankan players refusing Lahore visit to miss entire T20I series

Colombo [Sri Lanka]: The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has conveyed to the national selectors that the players, who will refuse to travel to Pakistan for the T20I in Lahore, will not be considered for the preceding two matches of the series to be played in Abu Dhabi.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the board is currently trying hard to convince as many Lankan players as possible that a day trip to Pakistan would not be unsafe.

"The understanding is that we choose the same squad for the series, in fairness to the players who have put their hands up for the Lahore match," SLC chief selector Graeme Labrooy said.

The policy of picking just one squad for the series means that Lanka are likely to have a new captain across the three matches, with Upul Tharanga already conveying his unwillingness to play in Lahore.

"At the moment the board is talking to each of the players individually, so the selectors don't know exactly who is available now. But we should know that by Friday morning. Two SLC executive committee members have been contacting the player," Labrooy said.

The Lahore T20I match, which is slated to be held on October 29 at the Gaddafi Stadium, will be Sri Lanka's first match in Pakistan since March 2009 militant attack on the team bus also in Lahore, killing six Pakistani policemen and injuring some of the visiting players.