President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has expressed his appreciation to the Pakistan cricket team and the Government of Pakistan for deciding to participate in the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match against India, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka.
In a post on his official X account, the President said it was a matter of great happiness that the highly anticipated India–Pakistan match will be held as planned. Sri Lanka, as a co-host of the tournament, extends its thanks to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and all parties who supported the continuation of the fixture.
President Dissanayake also recalled the assistance extended to Sri Lanka by both India and Pakistan during the 1996 Cricket World Cup, noting that such support has not been forgotten.
The Government of Pakistan had earlier announced, via its official X account, that the national cricket team had been instructed to take the field for the match against India, scheduled for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The decision was taken, the Pakistani government said, to uphold the spirit of cricket and to support all participating nations in the global sport.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has officially conveyed this decision to the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. This followed an earlier announcement indicating a possible boycott of the match.
Against this backdrop, a special telephone conversation took place yesterday (09) afternoon between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the discussion, the President requested that Pakistan allow its cricket team to participate in the match against India.
President Dissanayake also gratefully recalled the support shown by Pakistan to Sri Lanka during difficult periods, including times of terrorism, in safeguarding the game of cricket in the country.
Be the first to comment