Now Sanga takes on Arjuna Ranatunga

The national cricket team wrote to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) before the 2009 Pakistan tour seeking an independent security assessment, a reduction in the number of games to be played in the terror- ridden country, insurance for players and a week’s respite to spend time with their families.

The Board replied that it had already carried out a security assessment which proved that the situation in Pakistan was fine and that the players should get their own insurance, authoritative sources told the Sunday Times this week. It also said the tour could not be shortened and denied the players a week at home as Pakistan had wanted to play two extra ODIs. The team travelled to Pakistan from Bangladesh, where they were at the time.

These details emerged after former skipper Kumar Sangakkara launched a stinging attack on the then Sri Lanka Cricket management saying it had risked the team’s lives by agreeing to the hastily- arranged tour of Pakistan. Speaking from London through Skype, Sangakkara said the Board should be questioned in this regard.

World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga headed the SLC interim committee before being dismissed on December 21, 2009. He agreed to the Pakistan excursion before his sacking. This was after India pulled out for their scheduled tour over security fears and tension between the two countries arising from the Mumbai terror attack.

Sangakkara was part of the ill-fated visit where militants, during the early hours of March 3, 2009, targeted the bus carrying the team to Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium for day three of their second match against Pakistan. Twenty, including seven national players were injured. Seven people were killed.

“I am sad that those people who agreed to send us on that tour weren’t there to take the responsibility for the attack,” Sangakkara said, during the video briefing. “I think