Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace recall Lahore attacks of 2009

It was a black day in the history of cricket when terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009 in Lahore. On 3 March 2009, the team bus heading to the Gadaffi stadium was jolted by bullets and grenades in an attack by armed militants. Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace, the current England coach and his assistant, held the same position with the Sri Lanka team back then.

Eight policemen and bystanders were killed in the attack. The players and the support staff along with the officials were also injured. In the next six years, no team played any cricket again in Pakistan. The Men in Green still continue to play at a neutral venue in Dubai even now. 10 years after the incident, the duo hopes that Pakistan will host international cricket in full capacity once again.

The scary day reminisced by Trevor Bayliss and Paul Fabrace

“I was cleaning my sunglasses, and the next thing, the bus jolted. I just turned and looked over my shoulder, looked out the window — I could see this guy moving towards us with a gun, firing this gun. I honestly hope — I’ve always hoped — that international cricket will return to Pakistan,” Farbrace told a BBC Test Match Special podcast marking the 10-year anniversary of the attack.

Farbrace also added that Pakistan is a tough place to play cricket and added that the country is unbelievably passionate for the game. However, he regretted the fact that the young cricketers can’t play the game in their own backyard.

“It’s a tough place to play cricket, but it’s an unbelievably passionate country for the game of cricket. For me, there’s almost a bit of unfinished business, and for me to go back there, and see international cricket played in Lahore — for the people that lost their lives, I think that would be, for them, to show that terrorism hasn’t stopped the game of cricket going ahead,” he added.

“It was very calm. The only thing that was being said was on the bus, and no louder than this, was ‘oh, I’m hit’, ‘oh, so am I’, as the bullets were flying through and a bit of shrapnel,” said Trevor Bayliss sharing what he remembers from the incident.

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