Sri Lanka to play Pakistan in Lahore, becoming first major nation to return since 2009 attack

Sri Lanka's team bus was the target of a deadly terror attack by masked gunmen, and no major team has played in the country since

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play an international in Lahore this month (Getty 2017)

Sri Lanka will be the first major international team to return to Pakistan since the 2009 attack on their team bus left eight dead and nine injured.

The attack, which saw 12 gunmen fire AK-47s, rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades at the convoy and bus carrying the Sri Lanka team, injured six of their cricketers but killed six policemen defending the convoy as well as two civilians.

New Zealand were due to be the next team to visit Pakistan but cancelled their December tour that same year and so followed every arranged fixture thereafter.

Pakistan, one of the most cricket-mad nations on earth, has been deprived of international cricket since then but, in a fitting gesture, Sri Lanka have agreed to become the nation to end the boycott when they play a T20 international in Lahore at the end of this month.

Sri Lanka cricket (SLC) said that its executive committee agreed unanimously that the match on October 29 should go ahead despite the reservations of some of its players.

Pakistan have played their home-designated internationals in the United Arab Emirates for the last eight years, though Zimbabwe visited for five limited-overs internationals in 2015.

The first two T20 fixtures between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will go ahead as planned in Abu Dhabi but the third is now confirmed for Lahore’s Gadaffi Staduim.