10 Sri Lankan players including Malinga opt out of Pakistan tour

Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga is among 10 players who have opted out of the forthcoming tour to Pakistan where the team is scheduled to play three-match ODI and T20I series, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Monday.

SLC held a meeting with the players to inform them about the security arrangements before the selectors sit for the selection of squads.

Former Sri Lanka Air Force Commander, Marshal Air Roshan Goonetileke is the Chief Security Advisor of the SLC. He told players about the security situation in Pakistan and the security arrangements the PCB plans to implement during Sri Lanka team's tour.

However, following the meeting, 10 players chose not to take part in the series.

Malinga, who led the team during their T20I series against New Zealand, took five wickets in the third T20I on September 6. He took four wickets in consecutive balls and by doing so, Malinga became the first bowler to scalp four wickets on consecutive deliveries in both T20I and ODIs.

Malinga is also the first bowler to take five hat-tricks in international cricket, three in ODIs and two in T20Is.

Other players who have opted out of the tour of Pakistan are Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Janith Perera, Dhananjaya De Silva, Thisara Perera, Akila Dhananjaya, Angelo Mathews, Suranga Lakmal, Dinesh Chandimal, and Dimuth Karunaratne.

Moreover, Kusal Mendis is not available for selection owing to an injury he picked during New Zealand series.

The series is slated to commence from September 27 when Sri Lanka will face Pakistan for the first ODI.