The Sri Lankan cricket team returned to their hotel in Rawalpindi after completing the optional practice session, and the scenes showed very tight security around the players. The protection for the visiting side has been increased by Pakistan in this ongoing series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka as fresh safety concerns were raised by a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad. Security Tightened After Islamabad Attack The security cover was strengthened after a suicide bomber targeted an Islamabad court earlier this week. The blast killed 12 people and left 27 injured, making it one of the worst attacks in the capital in recent years. On the same day, militants also stormed a military-run school in Wana, killing three people before security forces rescued the students and neutralised the attackers. Because of these incidents, Pakistan deployed army personnel and paramilitary forces to protect the Sri Lankan team. Heavy escorts have been placed on the players' movements. Videos of the squad returning under full security back to their hotel have gone viral, further highlighting the strict measures being taken by the authorities. Watch the video here: 🚨No.. It’s not Donald Trump in Pakistan. It’s Sri Lanka Cricket team returning to hotel from an optional practice session at Rawalpindi. #pakvsl pic.twitter.com/7SxGjDTvqa — usman (@Cricbyusman) November 14, 2025 The Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, informed the parliament in a live broadcast that the government is doing all it can to ensure the protection of the Sri Lankan players. He added that Pakistan's Army Chief, General Asim Munir, had personally assured Sri Lankan Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon about the security plan. Also Read | Watch: Jasprit Bumrah Calls Temba Bavuma ‘Bauna’ During DRS Call Pakistan Gives ‘Foolproof’ Security Guarantee Sri Lanka Cricket said Pakistan had provided "foolproof" security guarantees and told the team to continue the tour. The board also declared that any player who opted to leave early would face a formal review upon returning home. The violence brought memories of the 2009 Lahore attack on the Sri Lankan team when six players were injured. The result was that international cricket stayed away from Pakistan for nearly ten years, while Pakistan had to play most of its home matches in the United Arab Emirates. Security has improved in major cities in recent years, to the extent where top teams are touring Pakistan again. Sri Lanka themselves were the first to resume Test cricket in the country when they toured in 2019. Current tour comprises a three-match ODI series in Rawalpindi, to be followed by a T20I tri-series involving Zimbabwe. Pakistan will be hoping the rest of the tour goes through without incident, a necessity as the country rebuilds its security environment.