Zimbabwe players practice as per schedule for the third ODI against Pakistan. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS
Friday’s explosion, which the police insist was an accident, threatened to torpedo cricket-mad Pakistan’s first series on home soil since an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009.
The visitors’ decision to play on means the two sides will face off in the third and final ODI at the same venue on Sunday.
Pakistan has so far won all of the matches in the series — two T20I meets and two earlier ODIs.
“The Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan ends tomorrow,” said Zimbabwe Cricket in a statement on Saturday.
It said that Lahore police met with the Zimbabwe team, and told them that “what occurred was a cylinder blast which killed two people, and that their forensics experts are examining remains from the explosion to ascertain the cause”.
A senior city police official “assured the travelling party of continued safety on the tour.”
Lahore police have insisted that the incident was caused by an accidental blast, initially attributing it to a transformer explosion before later saying an autorickshaw’s gas cylinder was to blame.
Security has been ratcheted up for the series with
around 4,000 policemen guarding the stadium itself, and a further 2,000 along
the route from the Zimbabwe team hotel to the venue.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2015.
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