Karachi: The Sri Lankan Cricket board has not still not got $ 30,000 from its Pakistan counterpart for hiring a chartered airplane to fly their players out of Lahore after militants attacked them in March 2009.
According to sources the Sri Lanka Cricket board has now asked the PCB to include the amount in the expenses for the upcoming series between the two countries in the United Arab Emirates starting next month.
“The Sri Lankans had hired a chartered flight to fly out of Lahore after their players were attacked by militants and they hired an airbus for this purpose at a cost of around $30,000,” one source said.
The visitors were attacked while on their way to Gaddafi Stadium in which six Pakistani policemen were killed while some of the Sri Lankan players were also wounded.
The second Test between the two teams was called off and the tour was cancelled, while the travelling side was taken to a safe airbase.
Later on, the Sri Lankans hired a PIA Airbus to take back a flight to Colombo and paid the expenses with the view that they will recover the amount later from the host Board PCB.
“But that amount of $30,000 is yet to be settled by the PCB despite several reminders,” the source said.
Since 2009, no Test team has toured Pakistan because of security concerns and Pakistan has been forced to play its ‘home' series at neutral venues, mostly in the UAE.
“Neither Ijaz Butt, in whose tenure the incident took place, nor Zaka Ashraf took measures to clear up the matter and now it remains to be seen what the present head Najam Sethi does about clearing the SLC dues,” one source said
