By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lankan batsmen Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranawitharana, who suffered gunshot injuries when the Sri Lankan cricket team came under a targeted terrorist attack in Lahore Tuesday, have undergone surgeries and will take at least a month to get back to cricket, a medical official said here Thursday.
“For Samaraweera and Paranawitharana, surgeries have been done. Bullets and shrapnel have been removed from their thigh and chest respectively. They are out of danger and are recovering very well,” Geethanjana Mendis, director general of the sports ministry medical unit, told IANS.
He said that wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who had suffered minor injuries “in the back of his chest, has been treated and discharged from the hospital Thursday morning”.
The island’s new spin sensation Ajantha Mendis, who suffered injuries above his right ear, “has also been treated and is recovering well in the hospital”, he said.
“The government’s aim is to put the cricket players back in action as soon as possible. Those who were injured and still in the hospital would take about one month (to get to back to cricket),” Mendis said
“The others who are back at home with their families are recovering very well and taking life easy. Their morale is very high and they should be able come to cricket within two or three weeks,” he said.
Ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan’s wife Mathimalar said her husband was very much back to normal and was keeping “fit and fine both mentally and physically”.
“I know it was a tragedy that they went through. But they are all strong enough to get over it quickly. Actually, they are waiting to go to practice,” Mathimalar Muralitharan told IANS.
A team of 12 young terrorist ambushed and sprayed bullets and fired rocket-propelled grenades at the convoy carrying Sri Lankan players to the Gadafi international stadium for the third day of the second and last Test against the host Pakistan.
Seven players and the team’s assistant coach were injured and six Pakistani police officials providing protection to the bus carrying the players were killed in the incident that shook the entire cricketing world.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday assured visiting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohita Bogollagama that the perpetrators of the assault would be punished.