Lahore is a beautiful city. Wide roads, clean and well and wide footpaths, medium strips with healthy foliage, plenty of trees on either side of the roads, buildings well maintained, the traffic – best behaved in the sub continent! In short, it resembles a thriving western city. The cricket arena – Gaddafi Stadium – is built all around, but has a soothing atmosphere and a very big playing area. The hotel that the teams and match officials and commentators are always housed, is a luxurious modern hotel. It is all well to host cricket.
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The pitch for the test match had some early life in it but soon began to become favourable for the batsmen. Thilan Samaraweera, the Sri Lankan batsman in form strode on it like a king. He seemed unbeatable and only a run out could seal his fate, after he had stroked a masterly double century. He must have gone to bed with pleasant memories of the day and would not have had the wildest of dreams that he would spend most of the next day on a stretcher and a hospital bed unable to even walk!
T.M. Dilshan, another batsman in pretty good form also helped himself to a big century, until he was also struck down by the same fate as Samaraweera – run out. Over two days of cricket only one bowler enjoyed himself. That was Pakistan’s fast bowler Umar Gul. He provided an example on how to bowl on a pitch that did not respond readily. The variations he used with skill earned him rewards – a rich haul of six wickets. For two days the bat dominated the ball for most of the rest of the next test match that seemed the likely pattern. That was not to be!
The following morning was pretty much as usual. After breakfast four of the commentators with the director left for the ground and got there shortly after 8.30. Ramiz Raja was making his way there from his home. We got to the commentary box and gradually began preparation for pre match work that consists of interviews, pitch report and in vision discussion. From a deadly silence, a huge blast, then another occurred. The building vibrated. With it the sound of gunfire. Or was it fire crackers? It all sounded mighty. A cameraman rushed in saying, “It is gunfire”. This went on for a good five minutes. Then the chilling news, “the Sri Lankan bus has been attacked”.
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We ran to the balcony at the back and the bus had just arrived and was parked almost directly below. Many bullet holes were visible and some of the glass shattered. Suddenly the physio/masseur Lal Thamal rushed out screaming and shouting. He was delirious. He was yelling to get an ambulance. Gunfire was still ringing loud. What he was doing was dangerous. He had gone crazy that some of the bodies that he so diligently cared for and prepared for sporting battle were now wounded by bullets and flying broken glass. Lal was a brave man. He was screaming for someone to get an ambulance. There was no ambulance in sight!
The Pakistani’s with us urged that we go back into the commentary box and stay behind closed doors as the shooting continued. It was scary. Would these gunmen come into the stadium? I went to the balcony in front which faces the grounds. A couple of minutes later Nalin de Alwis came out of the dressing room. I yelled at him inquiring of the situation. He said that six were hurt but not serious. What a relief!
Then Thilan Samaraweera was taken out on a stretcher. Tharanga Paranavithana walked out, blood all over the front of his shirt. The ambulance had arrived and the two who needed treatment were on their way to the hospital. Chris Broad the match referee was sighted. He walked towards the dressing room, blood stains all over his shirt. We then learnt that their van had borne the brunt of the attack and the driver was killed. The fourth umpire was badly wounded. By now the firing had stopped after a little over fifteen minutes. Back in the box the TV was giving pictures and the story of the happenings. The attackers had fled. The tour was called off.
A while later we went down as arrangements were being made for all to fly back home. Sri Lanka’s management staff reacted admirably in the crisis. Manager Brendon Kuruppu stood tall. He was calm and collected after the harrowing experience and the totally unexpected turn of events. This was no ordinary situation and needed tact to handle and he did that to precision.
This is 2009. An age of terror. Even those participating in this noble game are not spared.
= Ranil Abeynaike is a former Sri Lanka cricketer and one-time curator of the Sinhalese Sports Club. |
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