Sri Lanka to bolster security of international players after Sialkot lynching
Galle Gladiators' Mohammad Hafeez celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Jaffna Kings' Upul Tharanga during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) match between the Galle Gladiators and Jaffna Kings at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on December 5. PHOTO: AFP
Sri Lanka will bolster security for international cricketers after an expatriate factory manager was beaten and set ablaze by a mob in Pakistan's Sialkot over blasphemy allegations, an official said Monday.
A dozen players from Pakistan are taking part in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) T20 competition, including veterans Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez.
An official from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) told AFP that extra precautions will be taken in light of Friday's vigilante lynching in Pakistan, which has caused outrage across Sri Lanka.
"We have enhanced security across the board, not just for the Pakistani players," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Read more: Remains of Priyantha Kumar repatriated to Sri Lanka
The remains of the expat factory manager Priyantha Diyawadana were repatriated to Colombo on Monday, and authorities in Sri Lanka have asked for the culprits to be punished for the "brutal and fatal attack".
On Saturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to convey the nation's "anger and shame" to the vigilante killing of Priyantha Diyawadana.
Also read: Prominent religious scholars condemn Sri Lankan’s lynching by mob
"Spoke to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today in UAE to convey our nation's anger & shame to people of Sri Lanka at vigilante killing of Priyantha Diyawadana in Sialkot," the premier wrote on Twitter.
The five-team LPL began Sunday and ends with a December 23 final.