Sri Lanka trying to rope in some top players for Lahore: Gurusinha

Sri Lanka's Cricket Manager Asanka Gurusinha says the board is trying to rope in as many top players as possible for the team's scheduled Twenty20 International in Lahore later this month. The ongoing bilateral series against Pakistan ends with a T20I in Lahore as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is trying to bring international cricket back to the country.

Their efforts took a massive hit when 40 contracted players handed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) a letter indicating their reluctance to travel to Lahore due to security concerns.

However, with the support staff saying they are willing to travel to Lahore and SLC maintaining that players will not be given the choice to pick and choose venues - as there is already security clearance - a few players are said to have softened their stance. Gurusinha believes there will be more players reversing their decision.

Captain Upul Tharanga, however, has ruled himself out from travelling to Lahore. SLC is looking at an alternative captain and wicketkeeper batsman Kusal Janith Perera has emerged as the front runner to lead the side. While fast bowler Lasith Malinga too has ruled himself out, it is believed that only three players in the current ODI squad have agreed to go to Pakistan by Monday night.

"SLC will be speaking to most of the players to find the best way forward. It seems like we will be there in Lahore for less than 24 hours. We are flying in and flying out. We are hoping that some of the players who had concerns will seriously look at it," Gurusinha told Cricbuzz. "There are lot of positives taking place I should say. It is not nice to name the players but there were positive feedback from certain players."

During an Executive Committee meeting on Monday night, SLC decided to go ahead with the trip to Pakistan. The board discussed in detail a security report the ICC had presented following the World XI series in Lahore last month. "We have to look at both sides. SLC wanted security clearance and once that is done, the board has to send the players. SLC now will tell the selectors the process that should take place. It is a tough choice for the players. The players will seriously look at it and hopeful they will look at it favourably," Gurusinha said.

Accordingly, Sri Lanka will pick a provisional 22 member squad by Tuesday and then prune it to 15 by October 20. Chairman of Selectors Graeme Labrooy, who is an ICC Regional Match Referee, is currently in Hong Kong on a previously agreed assignment.

In 1996, Sri Lanka were facing the danger of having all their World Cup group games shifted away from home after Australia and West Indies refused to tour the country two weeks after the devastating Central Bank bombing that left more than 90 people killed.

However, timely intervention by Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was the head of PILCOM (Pakistan, India, Lanka Committee), the organizing arm of the 1996 World Cup, resulted in a joint India-Pakistan team playing a friendly match against Sri Lanka which allayed security concerns. Eventually Zimbabwe and Kenya came down to Colombo to play their World Cup games and PILCOM decided that Australia and West Indies had forfeited their games and awarded the points to Sri Lanka.

"Pakistan players came down to help us two weeks after the Central Bank bombing when we were in trouble in 1996. Had they not come down, I am not too sure whether Kenya and Zimbabwe would have honoured their World Cup fixtures in Colombo," Gurusinha reminisced.

It is our duty to pay back Pakistan: Tillakaratne

Former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne, who is the team's current Batting Coach, echoed Gurusinha's sentiments by saying it is Sri Lanka's duty to pay back Pakistan in the time of need. "SLC has already announced that we will tour Lahore. In 1996 Pakistan helped us by forming the combined India - Pakistan team and now it is our duty to help them," Tillakaratne, who was the Player of the Series when Sri Lanka recorded a come from behind Test series win in Pakistan in 1995, said.

Alongside the off the field drama, Sri Lanka succumbed to a 32 run defeat in the second ODI against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Monday (October 16) to suffer their ninth straight loss in this format of the game. "It is very disappointing. I thought we could have chased down that target and bounce back by winning the game. But still the series is open and we need to rectify our mistakes and come back strongly," Tillakaratne said.

Set a target of 220 to win, Sri Lanka slumped to 93 for seven. But a 76 run stand for the eighth wicket between captain Upul Tharanga and Jeffrey Vandrersay gave the tourists a glimmer of hope. Tharanga became the first Sri Lankan to score a century and carry his bat through in an ODI as he made an unbeaten 112. "Very commendable knock by the skipper and he played really well. I am positive about bouncing back in the series. We need to win all three games form hereon. It is tough, but we can do it," he concluded.