2009 ICC World Cup Live

Monday, March 2, 2009

Five Lankan players injured in attack; tour cancelled

New Delhi: Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan was cancelled on Tuesday after about 12 unidentified gunmen opened fire and injured the visiting players, including Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera and Ajantha Mendis near the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore this morning.

Seven to eight Sri Lankan players are believed to have received bullet wounds after the gunmen surrounded their team bus and opened fire while they were on their way to the stadium. Wednesday was the third day of the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Two of the players are believed to be seriously injured, according to the security officer of the Gaddafi stadium.

According to GEO TV, five policemen who were part of the security ring for the Sri Lankan players were killed on the spot, while two died in the hospital.

Apart from firing at the team, even grenades were lobbed at the Lankan team bus and rocket launchers were reportedly used.

The security in-charge of the Gaddafi stadium was also quoted as saying that some Sri Lankan players were still inside the stadium and that star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was safe.

The Lankan team media manager said the team taken to high security zone.

Cricinfo's Sri Lanka editor Charlie Austin said there was some explosion before the firing started. He also said that skipper Mahela Jayawardene had also been hit in his ankle.

Chaminda Vaas was also injured and he was seen being taken on a stretcher.

The Pakistan team has been stopped from reaching Gadaffi and are being taken back to the hotel.

According to reports reaching here, the area has been cordoned off and Kalashnikovs have been recovered from the spot.

Sri Lankan cricket team fired at in Lahore


Unidentified gunmen opened fire on the Sri Lankan team, who were heading to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the first Test against Pakistan.

The team bus was reported to have been damaged in the attack.

Seven-eight players were also believed to have been injured. Among them were Thilan Samaraweera, who had on Monday joined an elite club of batsmen to have scored back-to-back double hundreds, and Kumara Sangakkara. "It was a very heavy firing and I heard at least two explosions at the time," said a Reuters witness who had been on his way to cover the test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

A few reports said that Kalashanikovs and rocket launchers had been used in the attacks in which cops guarding the team were said to have been killed.

Tuesday was to be Day 3 of the second and final Test of the two-Test series, which was hastily arranged after India pulled out of their proposed tour following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.


The Sri Lankan Board has announced the cancellation of the tour.

The attacks have also put the future of international cricketing tours to Pakistan in jeopardy.

Pakistan did not play a single Test in 2008.

Further details are awaited.

Top Story:


Football Live Streaming

Live Streaming

Soccer Live

Humsurfer: Sports - hot

digg.com: Stories / Sports / Popular