'I felt a bullet fizz past my ear' - Sanga's account

[Sachinism]

Kumar Sangakkara March 4, 2009 As I dictate this article we are preparing to fly home. It's been a long day and we can't wait to return home to our families. We were shaken badly, obviously. Pakistan has a reputation for being unstable in the recent past, but we never expected to be caught-up in something like this. I am still shocked that a sports team could be targeted in this manner. We had always felt pretty safe in Pakistan, to be honest. It shows how naïve we were. We realise now that sports people and cricketers are not above being attacked. All the talk that "no one would target cricketers" seems so hollow now. Far from being untouchable, we are now prize targets for extremists. That's an uncomfortable reality we have to come to terms with. Tuesday started as just another day in Lahore: a morning report to the fitness trainer to check our hydration levels, a quick breakfast and cup of coffee and an 8.30am departure to the ground. We were all looking forward to the third day's play and trying to win the series. Our chief concern was how to wheedle out 19 Pakistan wickets on another true batting pitch. Our team bus left with three to four police cars in a convoy with around 12 policeman and security officers, including motorbike outriders. Along the route road junctions were cleared and side roads closed to ensure we passed through the traffic easily. It was standard security for teams in this region and we had no worries as we travelled to the stadium. The bus was full of the normal banter. Players traded stories, mostly about Lahore shopping, and cracked jokes. Others chatted about the cricket and the crucial first session. Then, as we approached the large roundabout before the Gaddafi Stadium, we suddenly heard a noise like a firecracker. The bus came to a halt and some of the guys jumped out of their seats to see what was happening. Then came the shout: "They are shooting at us!" From the front I heard the screams to "get down, get down" and we all hit the deck. Within seconds we are all sprawled along the floor, lying on top of each other and taking shelter below the seats. The gunfire became louder, we heard explosions (which I understand now were hand grenades) and bullets started to flash through the bus. I was sitting next to Thilan Samaweera and close to the young Tharanga Paranavitana. For some reason I moved my head to get a better view and a spilt second letter I felt a bullet fizz past my ear into the vacant seat. Fortunately, as a team, we remained quite calm. No one panicked. After what must have been two minutes standing still, we urged the driver to make a run for the stadium just a few hundred metres away: "Go, go, go" we shouted. The truth is we owe our lives to the courageous Mohammad Khalil, the driver. I will forever be grateful to him. The tyres of the bus had been shot out and he was in grave personal danger, exposed to gunfire at the front of the bus. But he was hell-bent of getting us to safety and, somehow, he got us moving again. Had Khalil not acted with such courage and presence of mind most of us would have been killed. Standing still next to the roundabout we were sitting ducks for the 12 gunmen. We only found out afterwards that a rocket launcher just missed us as we began moving and turned for the stadium gates, the rocket blowing up an electricity pylon. Khalil saw a hand grenade tossed at us that failed to explode. Someone must have been looking over us because right now it seems a miracle we survived. As we moved towards the stadium, Tharanga announced he was hit as he sat up holding his chest. He collapsed onto his seat and I feared the worst. Incredibly, the bullet hit his sternum at such an angle that it did not penetrate. He was fine. Shortly afterwards Thilan complained of a numbness in his leg, which we later found out was a bullet wound. Thilan and Tharanga were the worst hit. Just before reaching safety I felt a dull ache in my shoulder. Shards of metal, shrapnel, were lodged in the muscle. After being quickly evacuated to the dressing room the paramedics attended to those with minor wounds. My cuts were cleaned. Ajantha Mendis had several shards of metal removed from his head and next after his hair was shaved off. Paul Farbrace, our assistant coach, had a large piece of shrapnel removed from his arm. Mahela [Jayawardene] had a minor cut to his ankle. After a while we starting to calm down, and the phones started ringing. When the tour was first announced, while we were playing in Bangladesh, we had discussed security concerns with the Sri Lanka cricket board. Our own board had originally asked for a longer tour, asking for two extra ODIs, but we requested a shortened tour, an independent assessment of the security situation, some security guarantees, and proper insurance covering terrorist attacks. We were promised "Head of State" security and we were satisfied with this. We also wanted to play cricket in Pakistan. Nevertheless, with hindsight, we probably underestimated the security threat. In future, we need to very seriously consider how best to better tackle the issue of security in a new post-Lahore reality. We need to consider a more centralised and independent system for assessing security and a more open sharing of security information, not just between boards but with FICA and the players. From a Pakistan perspective, it is tragic this has happened. Pakistan is a great country with a strong cricket tradition and a very hospitable people. We like playing cricket here, but the presence of a small minority pursuing their own agendas at any cost will surely prevent tours for the foreseeable future. I sincerely hope that a solution can be found with time, but assume Pakistan will first need a neutral venue solution for their home games. Will I go back? When you have been through what we have experienced, when you have been targeted by terrorists yourself and been so fortunate to escape, it changes your thinking. It is a big question which cannot be answered now. I suspect, too, for us, it can only be answered as an individual. Our families will never feel the same about us leaving to play in Pakistan. That is sad - for Pakistan and world cricket. © Cricinfo http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/393354.html

[suraj]

Chilling To say the least!!!

[veer]

great presence of mind Mr. Khalil.. you saved lot many lives.. :two_thumbs_up:

[flamy]

Always articulate. Respect Sanga.

[Dravid]

good he and others are ok.. though s'weera got shot in the leg.. pic on cricinfo.. damn these pakis

[Rajan]

i shudder to think what wud have hapened if the rocket launcher had hit the bus, instead of missing it. initially i thought the terrorists had only intended to scare the cricketers and get huge publicity.but now i understand the true extent of the attack. what would these guys achieve by killing cricketers from another country who have actually tried their level best to restore normalcy and some much needed respect to Cricket in Pak!

[punjabi_khota]

Kumar Sangakkara March 4, 2009 As I dictate this article we are preparing to fly home. It's been a long day and we can't wait to return home to our families. We were shaken badly, obviously. Pakistan has a reputation for being unstable in the recent past, but we never expected to be caught-up in something like this. I am still shocked that a sports team could be targeted in this manner. We had always felt pretty safe in Pakistan, to be honest. It shows how naïve we were. We realise now that sports people and cricketers are not above being attacked. All the talk that "no one would target cricketers" seems so hollow now. Far from being untouchable, we are now prize targets for extremists. That's an uncomfortable reality we have to come to terms with. Tuesday started as just another day in Lahore: a morning report to the fitness trainer to check our hydration levels, a quick breakfast and cup of coffee and an 8.30am departure to the ground. We were all looking forward to the third day's play and trying to win the series. Our chief concern was how to wheedle out 19 Pakistan wickets on another true batting pitch. Our team bus left with three to four police cars in a convoy with around 12 policeman and security officers, including motorbike outriders. Along the route road junctions were cleared and side roads closed to ensure we passed through the traffic easily. It was standard security for teams in this region and we had no worries as we travelled to the stadium. The bus was full of the normal banter. Players traded stories, mostly about Lahore shopping, and cracked jokes. Others chatted about the cricket and the crucial first session. Then, as we approached the large roundabout before the Gaddafi Stadium, we suddenly heard a noise like a firecracker. The bus came to a halt and some of the guys jumped out of their seats to see what was happening. Then came the shout: "They are shooting at us!" From the front I heard the screams to "get down, get down" and we all hit the deck. Within seconds we are all sprawled along the floor, lying on top of each other and taking shelter below the seats. The gunfire became louder, we heard explosions (which I understand now were hand grenades) and bullets started to flash through the bus. I was sitting next to Thilan Samaweera and close to the young Tharanga Paranavitana. For some reason I moved my head to get a better view and a spilt second letter I felt a bullet fizz past my ear into the vacant seat. Fortunately, as a team, we remained quite calm. No one panicked. After what must have been two minutes standing still, we urged the driver to make a run for the stadium just a few hundred metres away: "Go, go, go" we shouted. The truth is we owe our lives to the courageous Mohammad Khalil, the driver. I will forever be grateful to him. The tyres of the bus had been shot out and he was in grave personal danger, exposed to gunfire at the front of the bus. But he was hell-bent of getting us to safety and, somehow, he got us moving again. Had Khalil not acted with such courage and presence of mind most of us would have been killed. Standing still next to the roundabout we were sitting ducks for the 12 gunmen. We only found out afterwards that a rocket launcher just missed us as we began moving and turned for the stadium gates, the rocket blowing up an electricity pylon. Khalil saw a hand grenade tossed at us that failed to explode. Someone must have been looking over us because right now it seems a miracle we survived. As we moved towards the stadium, Tharanga announced he was hit as he sat up holding his chest. He collapsed onto his seat and I feared the worst. Incredibly, the bullet hit his sternum at such an angle that it did not penetrate. He was fine. Shortly afterwards Thilan complained of a numbness in his leg, which we later found out was a bullet wound. Thilan and Tharanga were the worst hit. Just before reaching safety I felt a dull ache in my shoulder. Shards of metal, shrapnel, were lodged in the muscle. After being quickly evacuated to the dressing room the paramedics attended to those with minor wounds. My cuts were cleaned. Ajantha Mendis had several shards of metal removed from his head and next after his hair was shaved off. Paul Farbrace, our assistant coach, had a large piece of shrapnel removed from his arm. Mahela [Jayawardene] had a minor cut to his ankle. After a while we starting to calm down, and the phones started ringing. When the tour was first announced, while we were playing in Bangladesh, we had discussed security concerns with the Sri Lanka cricket board. Our own board had originally asked for a longer tour, asking for two extra ODIs, but we requested a shortened tour, an independent assessment of the security situation, some security guarantees, and proper insurance covering terrorist attacks. We were promised "Head of State" security and we were satisfied with this. We also wanted to play cricket in Pakistan. Nevertheless, with hindsight, we probably underestimated the security threat. In future, we need to very seriously consider how best to better tackle the issue of security in a new post-Lahore reality. We need to consider a more centralised and independent system for assessing security and a more open sharing of security information, not just between boards but with FICA and the players. From a Pakistan perspective, it is tragic this has happened. Pakistan is a great country with a strong cricket tradition and a very hospitable people. We like playing cricket here, but the presence of a small minority pursuing their own agendas at any cost will surely prevent tours for the foreseeable future. I sincerely hope that a solution can be found with time, but assume Pakistan will first need a neutral venue solution for their home games. Will I go back? When you have been through what we have experienced, when you have been targeted by terrorists yourself and been so fortunate to escape, it changes your thinking. It is a big question which cannot be answered now. I suspect, too, for us, it can only be answered as an individual. Our families will never feel the same about us leaving to play in Pakistan. That is sad - for Pakistan and world cricket. © Cricinfo http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/393354.html

Lol. You are quite wrong, sir.

[Rajan]

Lol. You are quite wrong' date=' sir.[/quote'] Not for nothing Sanga is respected by Pak fans! but frankly u cant expect him to say anything bluntly.

[cochise]

For some reason I moved my head to get a better view and a spilt second letter I felt a bullet fizz past my ear into the vacant seat.

To think...just a split second, a couple of inches...and we could have lost this great batsman and sporting personality that day.

[Ram]

This is disastrour for Pakistan's PR. Not that they had any in the first place.

[Anakin]

Great writeup and he is still so decent towards the pak. Glad all the lankans are ok and respect to the policemen and driver.

[WeStMiDz]

I've always wanted to read a Sangakarra autobiography if he gets round to it. Now (unfortunately) it will be that more intriguing...

[cochise]

http://www.theage.com.au/world/icc-referee-broad-slams-pakistan-over-poor-security-20090304-8oi7.html

INTERNATIONAL Cricket Council match referee Chris Broad has launched a scathing attack on Pakistan's security forces, accusing them of fleeing the scene of Tuesday's terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore. "I am extremely angry that we were promised high security and that in our hour of need our security vanished," the former England cricketer said at a press conference after his return to Britain late last night. Broad was travelling in a van with other match officials when the convoy taking the Sri Lankan team to Gaddafi Stadium came under fire from 12 masked gunman, killing eight people — six policemen and two civilians, including the driver of the van. Broad said he had an "inkling" before the Test series that there might be a security incident. He said he raised his concerns with the ICC and was assured by Pakistan it would provide "presidential-style" security. "And clearly that didn't happen," he said. "When we were in the van we weren't aware of what was going on outside. But after the incident when you watch the TV pictures you can clearly see the white van we were in, next to the ambulance in the middle of a roundabout, with terrorists shooting into our van and past our van and not a sign of a policeman anywhere. They had clearly gone, left the scene, left us to be sitting ducks." Broad, 51, has been praised for trying to protect severely injured local umpire Ahsan Raza. But the former opening batsman, clearly still shaken, said: "I am not a hero. Ahsan Raza took a bullet to the stomach or chest — somewhere in the spleen and lung region. I was lying behind him on the floor of the van and there were bullets flying all around us. "I only noticed he was injured when I saw a large pool of blood had spilled on to the floor and out of the partially opened van door. He's just an umpire who loves the game." While the security came under attack, Sri Lanka's cricketers, recovering in Colombo, lavished praise on their Pakistani bus driver, who drove them to safety through a hail of bullets. Captain Mahela Jayawardene hailed Meher Mohammad Khalil "for his remarkable bravery in the face of direct gunfire", saying the team owed their lives to him. "He did not think for his life." Spin-bowling great Muttiah Muralitharan gave his Sri Lankan shirt to Khalil as a thank you. "I am standing in front of you just because of the driver," Muralitharan said. Khalil, a professional bus driver for 22 years, was all modesty. "The thought that the Sri Lankans are guests and my country's image will be ruined if any of the players got seriously hurt spurred me," he said. "I kept my foot on the accelerator and drove the bus. Had we stopped, a rocket launcher would have hit us," the 42-year-old said. "That could have been disastrous." Khalil drove the bus about 500 metres from Liberty Square in Lahore where it was attacked to Gaddafi Stadium, where the players were taken to safety by military helicopter. Back home safely in Colombo, four of the injured Sri Lankan players lay in adjacent hospital rooms yesterday nursing wounds. Authorities were taking no chances. A trooper armed with a Kalashnikov and a policeman were on guard outside the hospital rooms. Doctors were last night assessing the most seriously injured player, batsman Thilan Samaraweera, who has a bullet lodged near his thigh bone. He is expected to be operated on soon. Nearby, young spin sensation Ajantha Mendis waited for medical staff to examine the shrapnel wounds to his head and back. The hair around the wound had been shaved and he looked exhausted as he lay in a tracksuit. Across the corridor was Sri Lankan vice-captain and star wicketkeeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara. He had been admitted so doctors could check a shrapnel injury to a shoulder. Tharanga Paranavitana, who sustained a deep shrapnel cut to the chest, was also under observation. While on the bus "he had a big bit of shrapnel hanging out of his chest and blood everywhere," Australian team coach Trevor Bayliss said. "It looked like he was gone but we got him off the bus and he was treated in the dressing room and he turned out to be all right." The international fallout from the attack has begun. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stepped up the pressure on Pakistan to deal with "the terrorist problem in its midst". "We know that the vast majority of al-Qaeda fighters are now in Pakistan, not Afghanistan," the British PM said after meeting US President Barak Obama. "I've been pressing the Pakistan Government for some time to make sure that arrests happen, that terrorists are brought under control and that Pakistan is seen to be fulfilling its role in the world community." Mr Obama, who described the attack as "tragic", said Pakistan remained a haven for al-Qaeda. Afghanistan, and increasingly the incursion of the Taliban and other militants into Pakistan, is Mr Obama's No. 1 foreign priority. As expected, New Zealand cancelled its November tour of Pakistan, which follows earlier cancellations by Australia and India. Pakistan has detained about two dozen people for questioning over the attack, but apparently none of the gunmen, who disappeared into the streets of Lahore after the gun battle. A reward of $200,000 for help finding them has been posted. Terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba remains the most likely suspect. Lahore police chief Habib-ur Rehman said that anti-personnel mines and two unexploded car bombs were recovered from the scene. "The high quantity of weapons recovered from the site of the attack suggests the terrorists were well prepared and organised," he said. Bayliss, who survived the military-style assault, said it was unbelievable that no players were killed. "Bullets were coming through the side of the bus and smashing windows," he said. "Glass was showering down on top of me. "I thought there is nothing I can do about this, all you can do is keep your head low and hope for the best. There was actually an unbelievable calm on the bus … time seemed to stand still." The gun battle continued after the team reached the stadium and made it to the team dressing room, where paramedics eventually arrived to treat the wounded. "There was a fair bit of blood around the dressing room," Bayliss said. Two other Australian support staff who were on the bus, physiotherapist Tommy Simsek and trainer Jade Roberts, also escaped injury. Australian umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis, who were in the van in which the driver was killed, were unhurt.