Pakistan Welcome to International Cricket After A long Period

LAHORE: Even Pakistan’s prime minister did not believe it could happen but when Sri Lanka visit the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday for a T20 match, the hosts will celebrate the end of eight years of isolation from international cricket.

Less than a year ago, none of this appeared possible for a nation that had largely been shunned by international teams since 2009 due to security risks.

That year gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lanka team from their hotel to Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium for a Test match, injuring six players and killing six security personnel and two civilians.

The incident forced Pakistan to play their home matches in the United Arab Emirates and the country has since remained starved of international cricket at home, apart from Zimbabwe’s limited-overs tour in 2015.