By Omar Khalid, IANS,
Lahore : Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ijaz Butt met the Sri Lankan cricketers at an undisclosed location here and later said the tourists were all safe and sound.
Butt said the Sri lankan players were all praise for their bus driver Mehar Mohammad Khalil. “The Sri Lankan cricketers were praising their driver for his bravery,” said Butt. “They wanted to thank him before heading back home and the meeting was arranged.”
Butt said that he had lunch with the Sri Lankan cricketers adding that all of them have escaped any serious injuries in the terror attack on their bus near the Gaddafi Stadium Tuesday morning.
The PCB chief said that Sri Lanka batsman Thilan Samaraweera was the only Sri Lankan cricketer who suffered from a bullet injury. “But thankfully it’s just a flesh wound. He was hit by a bullet in the back but it didn’t penetrate into the bone. He should be fine,” said the PCB chief.
Butt said that the Sri lankan players were in high spirits as they waited for a chartered plane being sent by their President. “We were planning to send the cricketers to Colombo via Abu Dhabi on a flight that was supposed to leave here at 2.30 pm,” said Butt.
“But we received information from Sri Lanka that a chartered plane will be landing in Lahore from Colombo at 7.30 this evening which will take the players back home.”
Butt said that he was very relieved that all the visiting team members escaped any serious injuries in the brazen attack that left eight, including six policemen, dead.
“Thank God that all the Sri Lankan players are safe,” he said. “They are our guests and their safety was our biggest responsibility.”