Sporting world in shock as terror finds new target

(L-R) Bollywood star and IPL team owner Preity Zinta, who was in Napier for yesterday's one-dayer, reacts to news of the shooting; bullet holes in the Sri Lankan team bus; injured cricketer Thilan Samaraweera. Photos / Hawke's Bay Today, AP

The sporting world erupted in shock and outrage last night after masked gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team's bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least eight people and wounding seven team members.

Two Sri Lankan players - Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana - were being treated for injuries in hospital but were stable, said Sri Lankan High Commission spokesman Chamara Ranavira.

Team captain Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Suranka Lakmal and Chaminda Vaas had minor injuries, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board said.

Mr Ranavira said British assistant coach Paul Farbrace also had minor injuries.

Australian head coach Trevor Bayliss was not wounded, Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry said. Earlier reports said he had minor wounds.

Six police officers and two civilians died in the attack, police said.

Star spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan later told British sports commentator Dominic Cork he had thought: "This is it. I'm dead."

Kumar Sangakkara said team members were injured by shrapnel, not direct gunfire.

"I had shrapnel in my shoulder ... but it was all taken out, I'm fine," he told IBN-CNN.

Ajantha Mendis had shrapnel in his back and scalp, he said.

"It's very unfortunate that this has happened. I don't regret coming to play cricket - that's what we've done all our lives, that is our profession.

"I regret what's happened and the situation we've gone through.

"All we want to do is go back home to our families and be safe."

Pakistani authorities provided helicopters to evacuate the Sri Lankan team from the stadium, then chartered a plane to fly them home.

The International Cricket Council said it would review plans for the 2011 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"What has happened is very shocking indeed," said N Srinivasan, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

"We have been saying that there was a lack of security and safety in Pakistan. But this is not the time to give statements on that. At the moment our concerns are only for the Sri Lankan players."

In Wellington, Prime Minister John Key said last night: "I condemn this despicable terrorist act. I am sure all New Zealanders will be outraged, as I am, at hearing this news.

"The New Zealand Government is monitoring the situation. I intend to convey a message of condolence to the Sri Lankan Government and Sri Lankan cricket team."

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said the attack put further clouds over New Zealand's tour to Pakistan in December.

"We decided not to tour Pakistan last year because of security concerns, and everyone will need a lot of convincing to tour there.

"We will be undertaking a security review."

It was too early to discuss security arrangements for the Pakistan tour.

"All of world cricket is feeling for the Sri Lankan and Pakistani teams. They do not bring these actions upon themselves ... it is the first time terrorists have targeted a cricket side. It is just an awful incident."

The attack is another blow for Pakistan cricket, which has been hit by cancelled tours and tournaments.

Australia, worried about security, this month forced Pakistan to change the venue of a one-day series in April-May to the neutral venues of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The attack happened as the team were heading for the third day's play in the second test.

Television film showed several gunmen creeping through trees, crouching to aim their weapons and then running on to the next target.

Twelve gunmen were reported to have taken part in the attack, and late last night none had been caught.

Pakistani civil defence experts defused two car bombs and recovered a stash of weapons after the attack.

New Zealander Stu McPherson, a former TV3 and now freelance producer, had been locked in a secure bunker in the stadium for an hour when he spoke to the Herald at about 6.30pm last night.

"When we arrived we heard a lot of gunfire outside the stadium. There were two explosions which we have since learnt were two bombs going off. We heard a lot of ambulances going past," he said.

The physiotherapist for the Sri Lankan team, who was on the bus, told Mr McPherson that six Sri Lankan players were shot. None was in a critical condition, as the injuries appeared to come from "grazing shots" which had not caused too much damage.

"The bus pulled up to the stadium and a car pulled out in front of the bus. Three gunmen jumped out of the car and sprayed the bus with bullets," Mr McPherson told the Herald.

Hours after the attack, match referee Chris Broad was walking around in a bloodstained shirt and umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis looked dazed.

"It was horrifying. There were bullets flying around us and we didn't know what was happening," Pakistani test umpire Nadeem Ghouri told Reuters.

The umpires, reserve officials and match referee were travelling behind the team in a minibus.

"When the firing started we all went down on the floor of the coach," said Ghouri. "Our driver was killed instantly from a shot from the front."

Ghouri said a local umpire, Ahsan Raza, was critically wounded.

Englishman Broad lay on top of him to protect him.

"It was very brave," said Ghouri.

Cricket is Pakistan's national sport, but it has been starved of test matches for more than a year because of security concerns.

Australia and India cancelled scheduled tours, before Sri Lanka agreed to step in to fill the breech.

India's players returned to the field for the second half of their opening one-day international against New Zealand in Napier last night wearing black armbands.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was batting when the news was brought to him.

"I just wish the Sri Lankan cricketers are fine," he said.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said: "Our thoughts and sympathies go out to the Sri Lankan team and their security people.

"Our dressing room is pretty devastated by it."

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who was in Napier for the match yesterday, is co-owner of the Kings XI Punjab franchise in the Indian Premier League competition.

Two of its leading players are Jayawardene and Sangakkara.

"This is one of the darkest days in cricket history," she said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Timeline of cricket safety concerns in Pakistan

- May 2002: New Zealand aborts a tour to Pakistan after a bomb explodes outside the team's hotel in the southern city of Karachi, killing at least 11 French engineers.

- August 2002: Australia cancels a tour to Pakistan over security concerns in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The series was shifted to in the United Arab Emirates.

- September 2003: A bomb blast in Karachi forces the South African team to postpone its tour by a week.

- October 2005: England refuses to play a test match in Karachi due to security concerns but agrees to play a one-day international match in the city.

- October 2007: South Africa refuses to play a one-day international at Karachi after an assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The match is shifted to Multan, in central Punjab province.

- March 2008: Australia again refuses to tour Pakistan over safety concerns.

- September 2008: The International Cricket Council postpones the biennial limited-overs Champions Trophy tournament, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, because most of the eight competing teams had reservations about security.

- February 2009: Pakistan hosts Sri Lanka in first test series held in the country in 14 months. The first test ends in a draw.

- March 2009: Gunmen with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers attack Sri Lanka's team on its way to play the third day of the second test. Seven players, an umpire and an assistant coach are wounded, and six policemen and a driver are killed.

- 2011: Pakistan is due to co-host the 2011 World Cup with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The ICC has said it will urgently review those plans now.

- NZ HERALD STAFF, AGENCIES