Sri Lanka are touring Pakistan, playing three one-day internationals followed by a Twenty20 tri-series along with Zimbabwe this month. Sri Lanka were scheduled to play Pakistan in the second ODI on Thursday in Rawalpindi.
But the bombing, which killed 12 people in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, prompted several Sri Lankan players on Wednesday to ask to go home, the Sri Lanka Cricket board said in a statement.
Rawalpindi and Islamabad are twin cities, hardly 20 km apart.
"SLC immediately engaged with the players and assured them that all such concerns are being duly addressed in close co-ordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the relevant authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of every member of the touring party," the SLC said.
"In this context, SLC has instructed all players, support staff and team management to continue with the tour as scheduled," SLC added.
Any player who returns despite the directive will be replaced immediately to avoid disrupting the tour, it said.
If anyone does that, however, "a formal review will be conducted to assess their actions, and an appropriate decision will be made upon the conclusion of the review."
SLC did not respond to a question on the number of players and staff who requested to return home.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the federal interior minister, said the last two ODIs of the three-match series would be played on Friday and Sunday in Rawalpindi as planned.
"Grateful to the Sri Lankan team for their decision to continue the Pakistan tour. The spirit of sportsmanship and solidarity shines bright," he wrote on X.
Pakistan had been struggling to convince sports teams to visit the country after gunmen attacked a bus carrying touring Sri Lanka cricket players in the city of Lahore in 2009.
At least six players were injured, and visits by international teams came to a halt as Pakistan played their "home" matches in the United Arab Emirates.
But security has improved since then in major urban centres and Test cricket returned when Sri Lanka toured in 2019.
Pakistan won the first ODI, which was also held in Rawalpindi, by six runs on Tuesday.
