By IANS,
London : Former England Test player Dominic Cork said Tuesday’s terrorist assault on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore was “one of the most frightening experiences” imaginable.
“It’s just been one of the most frightening experiences you could ever witness,” said Cork, whose bus was just ahead of the ones carrying the Sri Lankan players and umpires.
Cork, who was doing commentary for the series, said his bus left for the ground only about five minutes before the Sri Lankan team’s bus.
“We heard the explosions and the shots and saw the aftermath when the coach came into the ground and we saw that players were quite shook up and some quite injured,” Cork told the BBC.
“I have been into the Sri Lankan dressing room. They said they were going round the Liberty roundabout, which we did three minutes prior to that.
“All of a sudden six gunmen came out and started shooting at their bus. They (the gunmen) tried to take the driver out. He dodged the bullets and was able to keep driving.
“But the bullets went through the windows and the sides of the coach. They (the players) hit the ground and this is where some of the players have been injured.”
Cork said batsman Thilan Samaraweera has a gunshot wound to his leg “and it’s quite high up there,” while Tharanga Paranavitana has a shrapnel wound in his chest.
He said doctors were considering performing a surgery on Samaraweera “but he will be flown to Dubai or Sri Lanka before that.”
“Four of them have had their shrapnel removed, including the assistant coach Paul Farbrace.”
Cork said he had also spoken to the English umpire Chris Broad, who was travelling in a 14-seater minibus behind the player’s bus along with his fellow-umpires – two Australians and a Pakistani, who was shot in the back and seriously wounded.
“Their driver was shot dead in front of them. The umpires had to hit the floor. They were still being fired upon and Chris was trying to usher a policeman in to get this bus out of the firing line. They eventually got there and got to the ground,” Cork said.