Why did Sri Lanka President thank Pakistan PM for India match boycott withdrawal

Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake late on Monday thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for permitting Pakistan's cricket team to end boycott of their T20 World Cup match scheduled in Colombo on Sunday.

Taking to X, Dissanayake said he was "Delighted that the eagerly awaited India Pakistan match at the ongoing T20 cricket World Cup in Colombo will go ahead. As co-host of the tournament, Sri Lanka thanks the ICC and all concerned for their efforts."

The President recalled the 1996 World Cup when India and Pakistan visited Sri Lanka when others refused due to security concerns.

"Sri Lanka hasn’t forgotten the solidarity shown by both India and Pakistan during the 1996 World Cup, when they played in Colombo at a time when others refrained due to security concerns," he said.

The match between India and Pakistan will go ahead as scheduled after Pakistan's government decided to withdraw its boycott call following persuasion from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, ending an impasse that cast a shadow on the ongoing tournament.

Earlier, Dissanayake had called Sharif to convince him to play the game following the Sri Lanka Cricket letter addressed to PCB to change its decision.

Why did the Sri Lankan president thank Sharif?

It was the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the Sinhalese Sports Club that would face massive losses from ticketing revenue if the match would have been cancelled.

Further, the high-octane clash also boosts tourism businesses in Sri Lanka as fans from across the sub-continent and other parts are set to visit Colombo to watch the match.

In a letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board, SLC secretary Bandula Dissanayake had wirtten, “We have told them to consider what Sri Lanka stands to lose in case the match doesn’t go ahead. There are a lot of stakeholders who will be directly and indirectly affected if the match doesn’t go ahead."

"From the demand for tickets, it was evident that we were going to receive a huge boost economically as people who turn up for the fixture will definitely spend a few more days exploring the country. So it is a huge loss for everyone. It is a grim picture,” he had said.

Pakistan had earlier said they would not play the India match, which was seen as a political protest linked to Bangladesh's removal from the tournament after the world body declined its request to shift matches from India to Sri Lanka on security grounds.