“We were not allowed to go out much” - Dasun Shanaka opens up on security in Pakistan during T20I tri-series

Sri Lankan stand-in T20I captain Dasun Shanaka has heaped praise on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for handling the T20I tri-series against Pakistan and Zimbabwe perfectly well despite the recent Islamabad terror attack, which shook the country.

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Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony after Pakistan bagged a comfortable tri-series win in the grand finale, Shanaka stated that Pakistan’s security forces had handled the complex situation very well during the whole course of the tri-series.

“We enjoyed this tournament as a group. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to go out much, but the company of the Pakistan players and the Zimbabwe players was great. I have a lot of friends in both teams. Credit to the security forces; they supported us in every situation. It’s not easy to handle all this and organise everything. I must thank PCB for ensuring our safety. Hopefully, in the future, I’ll get the chance to come to Pakistan again and play good cricket,” Dasun Shanaka said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Delving into the details of the final, Sri Lanka batted first and got bundled out for 114 runs. Kamil Mishara was the top-scorer with 59 runs while Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz scalped three wickets apiece.

In response, Pakistan took 18.4 overs to chase down the target with six wickets in hand. Babar Azam was the top scorer, amassing 37* runs in 34 balls, while Saim Ayub also scored 36 runs in 33 balls.

“With the T20 World Cup around the corner and most games in your backyard, there are still plenty of positives. Starting from Kamil Mishara, Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, and in the bowling department, Chameera bowled really well in this tournament, as did Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga. All the bowlers contributed. At the same time, the team showed good intent in the field, which is another positive. We know we’re a quality side, so hopefully we can do well against Pakistan and in the World Cup,” he concluded.

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