Sri Lankan cricketers shot in Pakistan

[Media Park]

Two days had only been played MP, and it's been abandoned/cancelled. Was likely to end in another draw anyway.

fair enough... hadn't samaraweera hit a double ton as well?

[Pup]

Two days had only been played MP, and it's been abandoned/cancelled. Was likely to end in another draw anyway.

fair enough... hadn't samaraweera hit a double ton as well?

Yes

Second in a row.

[spell_check]

Remember the World Cup we were supposed to have in 2011 was given to the sub-continent again. Pakistan would probably be struck off the list now.

Update: Priority is safety and security of SL team - Lorgat


Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief, termed the attacks in Lahore on the Sri Lankan team bus as “pretty, pretty serious” and said that the repercussions could be severe for Pakistan’s cricket.


“It is pretty, pretty serious and it is very obvious that the landscape and the thinking has changed dramatically,” Lorgat told Cricinfo. Lorgat said the ICC’s top priority now was to arrange a safe trip back home for the Sri Lankan team. “Our priority is safety and security of the Lankan team and how to get them back home.”


Asked if the future of international cricket was in jeopardy in Pakistan at least in the immediate future, Lorgat said it would be too early to make any conclusive remarks but admitted it looked uncertain for the moment. “We are going to have to reevaluate what we do and where Pakistan plays its cricket.”



Lorgat also said that the terror attack in Lahore had come as an “absolute shock” for him because last year the ICC had done an assessment of suitable venues for the Champions Trophy and Lahore was listed as a safe place to play.

It's not the first thing the ICC has got wrong (not that they would have known this was going to happen), but still, the threat was there.

[Dirko]

Unbelievable. Some one should tell those pricks that Sport n Politics don't mix....

******* EVIL ****

[rod_rooster]

Good to hear that the injuries sustained are all minor.

Apart from the dead police and security staff. It's easy to forget them but they were only doing their jobs and they get killed for it. You have to feel for people in countries where violence and terrorism is so rife. It's easy to take for granted how lucky we have it here.

yes i feel for them and their families but i was just referring to the cricket side of things though RR.

Sorry wyc, i wasn't having a go at you i was just pointing out the tragedy of the incident outside of cricket. I know you were only referring to the cricket side of things. My post didn't come across right so apologies.

[wycbloods]

Good to hear that the injuries sustained are all minor.

Apart from the dead police and security staff. It's easy to forget them but they were only doing their jobs and they get killed for it. You have to feel for people in countries where violence and terrorism is so rife. It's easy to take for granted how lucky we have it here.

yes i feel for them and their families but i was just referring to the cricket side of things though RR.

Sorry wyc, i wasn't having a go at you i was just pointing out the tragedy of the incident outside of cricket. I know you were only referring to the cricket side of things. My post didn't come across right so apologies.

No problems misread by both of us by the looks.

[magpie in the 80's]

We’re shocked but everyone is OK – Sangakkara

"There are a few injuries but everyone is safe and all the players are out of danger,” Kumar Sangakkara had told CNN IBN. "We are shocked, but apart from that everyone is okay. Thilan [Samaraweera] has a shrapnel wound in his leg, but he is fine. [Tharanga] Paranavitana had shrapnel in his chest, but thank God it wasn't very deep and just on the surface.

"I had shrapnel injuries in my shoulder, but they have all been removed and I'm okay now. Ajantha [Mendis] had shrapnel in his neck and scalp, but he too has had medical attention and is fine. Everyone else is perfectly all right.

"It's very unfortunate that this has happened. Everything had gone on very well until this morning, but it just goes to show that nothing is as it seems. I don't regret coming here to play cricket because that's what we have been doing all our lives. That is our profession.

"But I regret this incident, what has happened and the situation that we have had to go through. All we want to do now is to go back home to our families, get back home and be safe."

[stan]

We’re shocked but everyone is OK – Sangakkara

"There are a few injuries but everyone is safe and all the players are out of danger,” Kumar Sangakkara had told CNN IBN. "We are shocked, but apart from that everyone is okay. Thilan [Samaraweera] has a shrapnel wound in his leg, but he is fine. [Tharanga] Paranavitana had shrapnel in his chest, but thank God it wasn't very deep and just on the surface.

"I had shrapnel injuries in my shoulder, but they have all been removed and I'm okay now. Ajantha [Mendis] had shrapnel in his neck and scalp, but he too has had medical attention and is fine. Everyone else is perfectly all right.

"It's very unfortunate that this has happened. Everything had gone on very well until this morning, but it just goes to show that nothing is as it seems. I don't regret coming here to play cricket because that's what we have been doing all our lives. That is our profession.

"But I regret this incident, what has happened and the situation that we have had to go through. All we want to do now is to go back home to our families, get back home and be safe."

What an incident. I bet nobody will be bagging the Australians now for pulling out. I guess the Pakistan Cricket board will be feeling like crap now. And well the ICC and there bullshit review needs a bit of work. Sad to say but thats the end of international cricket in Pakistan probably until all the terrorisim in the world is finished..........so what are well taking about 2000 years?

Anyway back to normallity, I hope the Sri Lankens are ok and get past this. I hope the pakistan players stick with there country and place international cricket (of course on away tours) for as long as they can.

[hearts on fire]

did they catch any of the people that did this?

[Il Duce]

did they catch any of the people that did this?

4 of the gunmen are dead

[Gozu]

I couldn't believe it when I heard this on the news. Sadly stuff like this will probably continue in the future as it is the extremists belief that the Pakistani government is in the pocket of the US. That country needs to sort it self out in a big way. No international matches should be played there for at least the next 20 years.

Even though our ODI series against Pakistan right after this South African tour is being played in the UAE I do hope it gets cancelled immediately.

[Rik E Boy]

Bye Bye Pakistan. Hope Kenya can take their spot.

Not sure what you mean by that Pidge? It isn't the fault of the Pakistani players themselves and i believe international cricket still has a place for Pakistan. I for one don't want to see the cricketers punished for what some people have done in their country. They will just have to play their 'home' fixtures at a neutral venue. Kenya are nowhere near international standard IMO.

Bye Bye to cricket in Pakistan is likely but not bye bye to Pakistan IMO.

How are the PCB going to generate revenue when they can't host International Cricket? It might not be bye bye Pakistan in the next year or so but if they can't host tours they'll be gone in five years. As for not punishing Cricketers, it is naive to expect sport to exist in a vaccuum and be immune to the vagaries of Politics. Yeah it's tragic for the Pakistani players and fans but several people lost their lives yesterday to a well organised and highly trained terrorist group. South Africa also spent time in the wilderness and Zimbabwe are under the pump as well.

The big losers aren't Pakistani cricket fans and players but the security personnel and the driver who were killed yesterday.

regards,

REB

[rod_rooster]

Well said REB.

[LaughingKookaburra]

Remember the World Cup we were supposed to have in 2011 was given to the sub-continent again. Pakistan would probably be struck off the list now.

Update: Priority is safety and security of SL team - Lorgat


Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief, termed the attacks in Lahore on the Sri Lankan team bus as “pretty, pretty serious” and said that the repercussions could be severe for Pakistan’s cricket.


“It is pretty, pretty serious and it is very obvious that the landscape and the thinking has changed dramatically,” Lorgat told Cricinfo. Lorgat said the ICC’s top priority now was to arrange a safe trip back home for the Sri Lankan team. “Our priority is safety and security of the Lankan team and how to get them back home.”


Asked if the future of international cricket was in jeopardy in Pakistan at least in the immediate future, Lorgat said it would be too early to make any conclusive remarks but admitted it looked uncertain for the moment. “We are going to have to reevaluate what we do and where Pakistan plays its cricket.”



Lorgat also said that the terror attack in Lahore had come as an “absolute shock” for him because last year the ICC had done an assessment of suitable venues for the Champions Trophy and Lahore was listed as a safe place to play.

It's not the first thing the ICC has got wrong (not that they would have known this was going to happen), but still, the threat was there.

I would think the entire sub-continent would be in doubt for the 2011 world cup. Especially after the Mumbai attacks being from Pakistani based terrorists. Can they guarentee player safety in any country especially seeing the size of the border between the 2 countries. Be a very big talking point over coming weeks because if they had to move the world cup they would have to move quickly.

[spell_check]

It should be our turn anyway, they've had it twice already, and Australia/New Zealand is the region that has the current longest wait for it.

[magpie in the 80's]

also should be mentioned that the commonwealth games are supposed to be held there next year 2010

[heater31]

It should be our turn anyway, they've had it twice already, and Australia/New Zealand is the region that has the current longest wait for it.

it was our turn for this world cup but the cry babies at the BCCI,PCB wanted it for their grubby little fingers and as usual the ICC bent over and let them have it

[Thiele]

Rowey and Cornsey have interviewed Muttiah Muralithuran and Sangakkara and you can hear both on the fiveeaa website

[Squawk]

I suspect that there was no intention to kill any of the Sri Lankan cricketers or their support staff. The attack that enveloped the team was simply a means to draw international attention to the ambush and to derive the obvious consequences that arise for the country of Pakistan - ie cricket and more particularly, non-cricket consequences.

[Rik E Boy]

I suspect that there was no intention to kill any of the Sri Lankan cricketers or their support staff. The attack that enveloped the team was simply a means to draw international attention to the ambush and to derive the obvious consequences that arise for the country of Pakistan - ie cricket and more particularly, non-cricket consequences.

Dunno about that Squawk. Did they deliberately roll a dud grendade under the bus? Was the rocket launcher just for show? No, they were playing for keeps and the Sri Lankans are bloody lucky.

regards,

REB