Pakistan must only care about their performance regardless of the visitors' squad quality, says Javed Miandad
After some top Sri Lankan cricketers opted out of their upcoming tour of Pakistan due to security reasons, former skipper Javed Miandad has advised the team to not focus on the touring party and urged them to put on their best show. Three ODIs and as many T20Is are scheduled in the tour.
Former skipper Javed Miandad has advised the Pakistani team to not focus on the touring party and urged them to put on their best show after some of the top Sri Lankan cricketers opted out of their upcoming tour of Pakistan.
"It does not matter which Sri Lankan players visit and Pakistan must only look to put up their best performances regardless of the visitors' squad quality," Miandad was quoted as saying by Pakistan daily 'Dawn'.
Meanwhile, Miandad felt that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) should take action against the players who have given importance to foreign T20 leagues over international duty. "International matches should be the top priority for the players and SLC should penalise the ones who have opted out of the Pakistan series," the 62-year-old suggested.
Miandad also said the limited-over series will help Pakistan kick-start their international cricket calendar which also includes series against Australia and Bangladesh and believed hosting the Islanders will boost the players' confidence.
Reportedly, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will also review the security arrangements put in place in Pakistan before appointing the match officials for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka. According to an Urdu daily in Pakistan 'Daily Jang', the ICC will examine the security arrangements to be put in place by the Pakistan government before appointing neutral umpires and match referees for the series.
The last time an international series was played in Pakistan was in 2015, against Zimbabwe. The ICC did not appoint any neutral match official and it had tasked both the countries to oversee cricketing matters.
The Islanders are scheduled to play three ODIs and as many T20Is in Pakistan with the first 50-over game on 27th September. However, due to security reasons, top of the pile Sri Lanka players namely 36-year-old T20 skipper Lasith Malinga, former captains Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Thisara Perera, Niroshan Dickwella, Akila Dhananjaya, Kusal Perera, and Suranga Lakmal have decided not to visit Pakistan.
