Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan in 2008–09
The Sri Lankan cricket team was touring Pakistan in January and February 2009. The series was the first Test tour of Pakistan since South Africa visited in October 2007.[1] The tour was arranged as a replacement for the scheduled tour of India which was cancelled by BCCI following 2008 Mumbai attacks.[2] The tour included 3 ODIs and 2 Tests.
| Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan in 2008–09 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Teams |  |
 |
| Dates | 20 January – 5 March | |
| Captains | Mahela Jayawardene | Shoaib Malik |
| Number of ODIs | 3 | |
| ODIs won | 2 | 1 |
| Most runs (ODIs) | Tillakaratne Dilshan 255 | Salman Butt 162 |
| Most wickets (ODIs) | Muttiah Muralitharan 6 | Umar Gul 10 |
| Number of Tests | 2 | |
| Tests won | 0 | 0 |
| Most runs (Tests) | Thilan Samaraweera 469 | Younis Khan 313 |
| Most wickets (Tests) | Dilhara Fernando 2 | Umar Gul 9 |
The safety of touring cricket teams in Pakistan had long been in issue. In May 2002, New Zealand abandoned their Test series in Pakistan after a suicide bomb attack outside their hotel: they have not returned to the country since.[3] Australia had recently refused to tour on safety grounds.[4] In order to persuade the Sri Lankan team to visit, the Pakistan government offered to arrange "presidential-style security.",[5] which they failed to provide, during the Second Test at Lahore, the Sri Lankan team were attacked by masked gunmen in a terror attack. Six members of the teams' security detail and two other civilians were killed. No cricketers were killed but five were listed as injured including Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, and his deputy Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana.[6]
ODI series
1st ODI
2nd ODI
3rd ODI
Test series
1st Test
21 – 25 February Scorecard |
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- For the first time in history, both captains hit innings of 200 or more in the same Test.[7]
- This is only the second Test in history to see three batsmen hit double centuries.[8] The other double century in the match was by Sri Lankan Thilan Samaraweera.
- Khurram Manzoor and Sohail Khan (Pak) and Tharanga Paranavitana (SL) made their Test debuts.
2nd Test
1 – 5 March scorecard |
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- Match abandoned as a result of an attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore
- Mohammad Talha (Pak) made his Test debut.
Only Tour Match:Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI vs Sri Lankans
17 – 18 February (scorecard) |
Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI 395/4 (90 overs) |
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- Players per side: 14 (11 batting, 11 fielding)
- Maximum of 90 overs
References
- Cricinfo – South Africa in Pakistan Test Series, 2007/08
- "Sri Lanka have confirmed tour – Pakistan board". Cricinfo Pakistan. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- "Where terror was never too far away". The Statesman. 3 March 2009. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- Knight, Ben (9 August 2002). "Australian cricket team cancel Pakistan tour". ABC News. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- Perlez, Jane (3 March 2009). "For Pakistan, Attack Exposes Security Flaws". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
- Cricinfo staff (3 March 2009). "SL cricketers injured in terror attack". Cricinfo. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
- "Test matches: Batting records (filters: captaincy, innings score ≥ 200)". Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
- "Test matches: Batting records (filter: 3 or more double centuries)". Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2009.