Gunmen Shoot Sri Lanka Cricketers

Gunmen have attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team on its way to play in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

At least five members of the Sri Lankan cricket team were injured – two from bullets – and five Pakistani policemen escorting the team bus were killed.

from BBC NEWS.

Well if Pakistani cricket had issues getting teams to play in their country they’ll be even worse now. I wouldn’t be suprised if the ICC comes straight out now and decide that playing any International is not safe; they’ve already moved the 2009 Champions Trophy due to safety concerns. The real worrying part of the Beebs report was:

Grenades and rocket launchers had been found at the site of the incident, police said.

Let’s be thankful that they weren’t used or things could have ended up a lot worse. It’s a shame that something as placid as cricket has been rocked by something like this. I feel for the Sri Lankan team, no doubt they’ll be in shock over this event and it may take some time before they’re back in cricketing mode. It’s also a shame for the country of Pakistan especially when one considers that cricket is a huge sport over there. The ramifications cricket wise I doubt will be known just yet though, as I said, I expect the ICC will make a statement on this. For now I just hope the players that took bullet wounds are fine and that should the Sri Lankan team now leave Pakistan that their journey home is uneventful.