http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 remembers Lahore attack - Jayawardene
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Denagamage-Proboth-Mahela-de-Silva-Jayawardene-c53546, who was leading the Sri Lankan side on their unforgettable tour to Pakistan in March, 2009, still remembers the horrible moments when they were attacked in Lahore.
The visiting team was on their way to Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on http://www.senore.com/Cricket/March-c74391 3, to field against Pakistan on the third day of the second Test match. Their bus was attacked just near the stadium at Liberty roundabout by terrorists and the cricketers were lucky
to escape with their lives.
Jayawardene and the vice-captain, Kumar Sangakkarra, had some minor injuries, while Tharanga Paravitarana, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Balapuwaduge-Ajantha-Winslo-Mendis-c47194, got some serious blows but recovered soon.
While talking to ‘The Guardian’, he disclosed that he still has nightmares of the incident and the way six security persons lost their lives defending the team is unbelievable. Two innocent civilians also fell victim to the terrorists, who attacked the bus
with automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades.
Initially, the skipper recollected, they thought fire crackers were exploding, but immediately afte some other player shouted they were being attacked.
Jayawardene remembered the incident and believed that was the last day of their life and they would not survive. He further commented,
“Two or three times, lying on the floor, I thought, there is no way we're going to get through this.' There was no talking - just screaming and shouting. Whenever anyone got hit by shrapnel they would scream. We were very, very lucky to be alive at the end
of it”, he said.
They felt there was lack of security arrangements for the team, which resulted in the attack. Any international team visiting another country gets fool proof security, which was not evident that day.
“We were very angry when we get off the bus and it took us a long time to calm down. We were http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dane-John-Anderson-c52213 that, as innocent people, we had been placed at such risk. We had no one to protect us. Obviously we can't forget the five policemen who died trying to save
us. We remember them, dearly, but even those men were left to die”.
The Sri Lankan team came across a similar situation during their visit to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 when a few crackers were fired at a place nearby and a few of them quickly lay down in the bus and thought they were under attack.
No team has visited http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Peter-Willey-c81951 be peace in the country, in order to encourage foreign teams to visit their part of the world again.
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