Sri Lanka coach Rumesh Ratnayake lavished praise on Pakistan for giving great hospitality to hits throughout the limited-overs series, saying the successful tour of Lahore and Karachi is a message for the whole world and other Lankan players that Pakistan is a safe place to play cricket.
While hailing the impeccable security arrangements by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ratnayake said the limited-overs tour had gone very smoothly, which makes him confident that other countries will also soon visit Pakistan to play cricket here.
Read Also: Cricket fraternity reacts as Sri Lanka complete 3-0 whitewash over Pakistan in T20I series
Ratnayake told reporters, “This tour is a message for the whole world, and especially a message for future Sri Lankans. This has gone very smoothly. Us playing here will encourage so many other countries to also to be here.”
He further added, “To experience the hospitality of Pakistan is a great thing; I've experienced it after a long, long time, and if anything, it's got even better. It was a lot of hard work for the whole system to have us here. You've done a great job in having us here and the security has been impeccable. I've enjoyed every moment of it even though some of us came in doubt. But the doubt has been taken out now so I would like to thank you all for making it happen.”
His comments came after the visitors defeated Pakistan by 13 runs in the third and final T20 International to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Lahore on Wednesday (October 9).
Meanwhile, top Sri Lankan players had not visited the country for the just-concluded tour and the Lankans are reluctant to play if its best players opt-out of upcoming Test series in Pakistan later this year. However, head coach admitting the Sri Lanka cricket board couldn't force players to come, but he sensed who was watching at home would have seen "it is safe to be here".
Ratnayake signed off by saying, “We'll certainly explain that to them and they'll have seen it as well. We'll try and convince them as much as we can, but we cannot enforce anything. Hopefully, they've changed by seeing this series be so successful.”
(With ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
