Thilan Samaraweera still haunted by the 2009 attack of the Sri lankan team bus

Former Sri Lankan batsman Thilan Samaraweera still gets goosebumps when he recalls the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009. The batsman claimed that the horrific incident still haunts him and it will be extremely hard to get over it. Samaraweera was the most severely injured cricketer when the visitors’ team bus was fired upon by the terrorists. The 40-year-old batsman had to undergo surgery in order to pluck out a bullet from his thigh and had to spend two weeks at the hospital.

Details:

Speaking about Sri Lanka’s decision to tour Pakistan again for s short T20 series, Samaraweera said that it should depend on the personal choice of the players. According to the batsman, no player should be forced to participate in the series. Pakistan have seen a ban on international cricket in the country since then. Barring a visit by Zimbabwe in 2015, no other country have traveled to Pakistan after the attack.

The ghastly attack took place on March 3, 2009, when a bus carrying the Sri Lankan players was stormed by 12 gunmen near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. Six members of the Sri Lankan national team suffered injuries while six Pakistani policemen were killed along with 2 civilians.

It is believed that the attack was carried out by Lakshar-e-Jhangvi.  However, three of the terrorists responsible for the tragedy were killed in Lahore in 2016 after a raid. The mastermind behind the attack was killed in October 2016, during a military operation, while he was hiding in Afghanistan.

An ICC world XI is also scheduled to visit Pakistan to lock horns in a series. The PCB believes that this will put an end to the international drought in Pakistan. It has also been reported that West Indies might also visit Pakistan for a series later this year. While these are delightful news for the cricket fans in Pakistan we hope the tours to be successful.