Sri Lanka coach hopeful players would soon return to Pakistan for Test cricket

• Sri Lankan coach hopes that Pakistan's perception would change after recent successful tour.
• The coach has applauded PCB's efforts for arranging the tour, which went completely smoothly.

Sri Lankan coach Rumesh Ratnayake is hopeful that his players will return to Pakistan soon after the recent successful limited overs tour, which ended last night.

“We'll certainly explain that to them and they'll have seen it as well. We'll try and convince them as much as we can, but we cannot enforce anything. Hopefully, they've changed by seeing this series be so successful,” said Ratnayake at the post match conference.

Sri Lanka were scheduled to visit Pakistan for a two-match series in December, however, the players were reluctant to tour Pakistan. On the other hand, PCB is hopeful that the Sri Lankan team will play both tests here.

The Lankan coach showered praise on Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for arranging a successful tour and was optimistic that other countries would soon visit Pakistan.

“This [The tour] has gone very smoothly. Us playing here will encourage so many other countries to also to be here. To experience the hospitality of Pakistan is a great thing; I've experienced it after a long, long time, and if anything, it's got even better. It was a lot of hard work for the whole system to have us here,” he said.

“You've done a great job in having us here and the security has been impeccable. I've enjoyed every moment of it even though some of us came in doubt. But the doubt has been taken out now so I would like to thank you all for making it happen.”

The inexperienced Sri Lankan team ended their tour of Pakistan on high, after they completed a 3-0 clean-sweep of their Twenty20 series over world’s number one ranked Pakistan on Wednesday with a 13-run victory in Lahore Gaddafi Stadium.