LONDON (AFP) — Members of Sri Lanka's national cricket team have cancelled a planned appearance at Oxford University because of security concerns, officials said Friday.
Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and wicket keeper Kumar Sangakkara were due to visit the Oxford Union debating society alongside team manager Brendon Kuruppu Friday.
But the Oxford Union said in a statement that the visit had been cancelled after Britain's Times newspaper reported that more than 20,000 Tamil civilians were killed during Sri Lanka's recent offensive against the Tamil Tigers.
"This afternoon, the Sri Lankan cricket team's security advisers have informed us that, due to the heightened threat levels posed by today's Times front page, they have decided to cancel this afternoon's visit by Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara and their manager, Brendon Kuruppu," it said.
"This is obviously extremely disappointing and we apologise profusely for it."
The Times report has been dismissed by the Sri Lankan government, which said the figures were "way out."
In March, gunmen in Lahore in Pakistan, ambushed the Sri Lankan team bus en route to a stadium where they were due to continue a test match against Pakistan.
Seven Sri Lankan players and their British assistant coach Paul Farbrace were injured in the attack. Eight Pakistanis, including six security force personnel, were killed.
