The world of cricket is in shock following Tuesday’s terrorist attack in Lahore. Eight people were killed but the Sri Lanka team, who were the terrorists’ primary target, escaped with only relatively minor injuries, although Thilan Samaraweera will require further surgery on his knee after suffering a bullet wound. As the game recoils in dismay at this latest turn of events, its leading lights attempt to make sense of the situation and ask how it came to this.

“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.”
Kumar Sangakkara explains cricket’s unfortunate new status quo.

“We have been brought up in a background of terrorist activities. We are used to hearing, seeing these things – firing, bombings. So we ducked under our seats when the firing began – we were screaming and hurt but couldn’t help each other.”
Mahela Jayawardene recounts his experience of the attack.

Jayawardene is greeted by journalists as his side returns to Sri Lanka

“To be honest, everyone on the bus was pretty calm. I was on the floor thinking ‘there’s nothing I can really do about it’. Six or seven of the players were hit, some more seriously than others, but thankfully nothing is life threatening.

“Samaraweera is probably the worst of the lot. Our new opening batsman Paranavitana, gave us a fright. There was blood all over his chest after he was hit by a bullet or piece of shrapnel from the side. There was a fair bit of blood in the dressing room. But I’m looking at him now and he seems OK, joking around as if nothing has happened.”
Sri Lanka’s coach Trevor Bayliss explains that his players have coped well since the attack.

“I talked with Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera after the incident and told them the entire nation was sorry for what had happened. They took the incident in their stride and didn’t express any unhappiness with the people of Pakistan or the game.”
Pakistan captain Younis Khan apologised to the Sri Lanka side on behalf of his nation.

“There were five of us in the back of the van, all lying on the floor listening to the crack of bullets going on around us, hitting the van. Every time you heard a crack you just thought ‘this bullet’s for me’.

“It is just a major tragedy for the world of sport and for Pakistan itself because I can’t see cricket going back there, certainly in the near future.”
ICC match-referee Chris Broad was following the Sri Lanka team to the Gaddafi Stadium in the company of his fellow officials when their vehicle came under attack.

“Pakistan’s image will be hit and only time will tell how much damage has been done to Pakistan cricket. The World Cup too might be affected. Preparations for the World Cup will start much before 2011 and no country would want to come now to Pakistan. We will know the extent of damage to our cricket in some time. I am worried where Pakistan will get a chance to play, not only in Pakistan but outside as well.”
Inzamam-ul-Haq is fearful for the future of Pakistan cricket.

“A lot of the concerns we raised during the Champions Trophy have unfortunately come home to roost. There were a number of factors we considered, including the global exposure an attack on an international sporting team could have. This, unfortunately, is the realisation of many of the things we thought, and it is a terrible way to find out.”
ECB security consultant Reg Dickason indicates that this was a scenario he had always considered a possibility.

The Sri Lanka side was airlifted to safety from the Gaddafi Stadium

“It was nearly inevitable given the turmoil that we’ve seen – not only in Pakistan but the issues in Sri Lanka as well with the ongoing conflict there – that a sporting team was [going to be] in the firing line so to speak at some stage.”
Former Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody agrees that an attack was always likely.

“There is yet one more reason to make sport an attractive target. That is because sport is about joy. Sport is uniquely capable of uniting great numbers of people in wonder and delight. What terrorist in the world would not wish to turn that joy to ashes?”
Simon Barnes of The Times reasons that sports events are a prime target for terror attacks.

“I never want to see cricket disappear from any of its heartlands but I’m afraid this emphasises that the show cannot always go on.

“Even though I was numb with shock yesterday, this has not come as a total surprise. It is clear that Pakistan is unstable, with people being advised not to go there or travel around the country unless they absolutely have to. The ICC know that but have been trying to send cricketers there – and then this happens.”
Writing in The Daily Mail, Nasser Hussain thinks the ICC has some explaining to do.

“If I were one of the England guys who signed up for the Indian Premier League, I would be concerned.

“There’s nothing stopping a tuk-tuk pulling up alongside and detonating a bomb. I would be very nervous because that kind of attack is much easier to carry out in India – and these guys can attack when they like.”
In The Guardian, Duncan Fletcher argues that the IPL is likely to present a tempting target for terrorists.