Zeecric Bureau
Lahore, March 03: Six Lankan cricketers and their British assistant coach were wounded when gunmen attacked their bus as it drove under police escort on Tuesday to a stadium in the Pakistani city of Lahore.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
“It would be difficult to tour Pakistan for another couple of years. We are lucky that we did not go to Pakistan. Cricketers are now soft targets and it is quite unfortunate. I am shocked with the entire episode.”
Nadeem Ghouri, Pakistani umpire
"It was horrifying. They were bullets flying around us and we didn`t know what was happening. When the firing started we all went down on the floor of the coach. Our driver was killed instantly from a shot from the front."
Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka Captain
"We all dived to the floor to take cover."
Mohammad Luqman, witness
"I saw them from the window of my office firing at the police escort first. When the police dispersed after the shooting, they started firing at the bus of Sri Lankan team."
Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol, Pakistan minister of state for shipping
"The evidence which we have got shows that these terrorists entered from across the border from India. This was a conspiracy to defame Pakistan internationally. It is a declaration of open war on Pakistan by India."
Javed Miandad, former Pakistan captain
"It is so sad all this carnage and terror. What is worse is that all the fears expressed by foreign teams about coming to Pakistan have been proved correct. Pakistan cricket will take a long time to recover now."
Inzamam-ul-Haq, former Pakistan captain
"What is sad that the Sri Lankans supported us and came to Pakistan and this is the price they have paid for their friendship with us."
Brendan Kurrupu, Sri Lanka team manager
"We are going back today but it is a sad day for cricket. I feel for Pakistan cricket."
Palaniappan Chidambaram, Indian home minister
"It is quite clear that the security of the Sri Lankan team was hopelessly inadequate. We condemn the incident."
Indian Foreign ministry statement
"Terrorism based in Pakistan is a grave threat to the entire world. It is in Pakistan`s own interest to take prompt, meaningful and decisive steps to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure once and for all."
Salman Taseer, Punjab province governor
"I want to say it`s the same pattern, the same terrorists who attacked Mumbai. They are trained criminals. They were not common people. The kind of weaponry they had, the kind of arms they had, the way they attacked ... they were not common citizens, they were obviously trained."
Haroon Lorgat, International Cricket Council Chief Executive
"We note with dismay and regret the events of this morning in Lahore and we condemn this attack without reservation."
Imran Khan, Former Pakistan captain
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan blamed lax security for today`s gun and grenade attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, saying officials must be held to account for the incident.
Jagmohan Dalmiya, Former ICC and BCCI chief
This is a cowardly act of the highest degree. It is a matter of concern and I strongly condemn it. I pray that the players injured recover fast.
Graeme Smith, captain of South Africa
The word tragedy is often used to describe a setback on
the sporting field, but this is a real tragedy, for all the
people of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, for cricket, and for all
decent people.
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