'I remember that day and those moments so very clearly' - Kumar Sangakkara opens up on Lahore 2009 terror attacks

Former Sri Lankan captain and one of the greatest batsmen that the island nation has ever produced Kumar Sangakkara is back in Pakistan to lead a Marylebone Cricket Committee [MCC] for a series of three twenty20 fixtures against Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

This will be the first time that Sangakkara will visit Gadaffi stadium since those dastardly attacks on Sri Lankan soil back in March 2009. In March of 2009, the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) fired indiscriminately at the Sri Lankan team bus who were on their way to the stadium. The attack left eight people brutally killed and injured seven Sri Lankan cricketers.

Ever since that incident, no International team visited Pakistan for almost ten years. But, recently, the teams like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have travelled to the country for Test matches and the current tour by Sangakkara-led MCC is another effort to restore cricket back in Pakistan.

Speaking on that incident of 2009, Sangakkara said he doesn’t need any flashbacks as he vividly remembers the day that this incident took place. He added that the attack on the Lankan side gave him perspectives in terms of life and sport. He also reckoned that he learned a lot about his values and character.

“I don’t think I need any flashbacks, because I remember that day and those moments so very clearly. It’s not something I relive or wallow in. But it’s an experience you should never forget, because it gives you perspective in terms of life and sport, and you learn a lot about your own values and characters, and those of others,” Sangakkara was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

‘Lucky to be back in Lahore after ten years’: Kumar Sangakkara

The former captain and the current President of the MCC said that he has no reservations in talking about the incident. In his view, these are the sort of experiences that strengthen an individual and he considers himself lucky to be back in Lahore.

“I have no reservations about talking about it, it’s not something that upsets me, but these sorts of experiences can only strengthen you. Today I consider yourself very fortunate to be able to come back here to Lahore, and at the same time remember the sacrifice of all those who lost their lives that day,” he added.

The Sri Lanka veteran also revealed that in order to get over the incident, the team used to talk about it and would sometime laugh in terms of the ignominy that they went through.

“We speak about the attack at various times. We even have a laugh about it, in terms of what we went through because it helps sometimes to look at it with a bit of humour, even though there was a tragic loss of life, nd other serious injuries within that incident,”

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