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[Effes]

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At least five members of the Sri Lankan cricket team have been injured in a shooting incident in the Pakistani city of Lahore, a Sri Lankan minister says.

The incident happened when unidentified gunmen fired on a convoy carrying Sri Lankan cricketers.

Pakistani officials said about 12 gunmen were involved and grenades and rocket launchers were recovered from the scene.

At least five policemen have been killed in the attack, police say.

Sri Lanka Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge told the BBC that early reports indicated that the injuries to five players and a coach were minor.

Sri Lankan media reports said two of the players including Thilan Samaraweera, who scored a double century in the ongoing Test match, have been taken to hospital.

"Five [of our] cricketers have injuries, but they are OK. But the players are shocked. They have never gone through anything like this before," former Sri Lankan player Sanath Jayasuriya told an Indian news channel on the phone from Colombo.

The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says the gunmen opened fire on the Sri Lankan team bus which was on its way to the Gaddafi stadium, venue for a Test match between the two sides.

The third day of play in the Second Test was scheduled to begin, but officials said the match has now been cancelled.

"It appears that our team bus was targeted on the way to the match. It appears that four of our cricketers have been injured and taken to the hospital," a Sri Lankan cricket official told an Indian TV channel from Colombo.

TV pictures showed two gunmen with backpacks on the road where the incident happened.

The police believe that "10 to 12" attackers came to the scene in auto rickshaws, according to Lahore police chief Habibur Rahman.

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

An eyewitness told Reuters news agency that three policemen and a traffic warden had been killed in the incident.

Shop owner Ahmed Ali said two policemen had been driving behind the team bus when the attack happened.

"It was a very heavy firing and I heard at least two explosions at the time," an eyewitness told Reuters.

Pakistan invited Sri Lanka to tour after India's cricket team pulled out of a scheduled cricket tour following the deadly November attacks in the western Indian city of Mumbai.

Our correspondent says the incident will come as a big blow to Pakistan cricket.

India and Australia have pulled out of cricket tours to the country in the recent past citing security concerns.

Meanwhile, the sport's world governing body, the International Cricket Council, last month decided not to hold the 2009 Champions Trophy in Pakistan due to safety worries.

The eight-nation tournament was to be held in September and October.

Pakistan, along with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are due to jointly host the Cricket World Cup in 2011.

[112-1077774096]

well that spells the end of cricket tests etc in pakistan, this is well f*cked up,

[destro]

Just been listening to this on Sky, they fired a RPG at the coach and missed !!

[Dundalk]

Just seen this its mad

[dawson99]

Loads of graffitti all going up round here, strong sri lankan Pakistani area, it's all gonna kick off

[Ciggy]

Sh!thouses oh the highest order.  Can someone please explain to me why they wanted to kill a cricket team? I cant understand.

[bigmick]

Sh!thouses oh the highest order.  Can someone please explain to me why they wanted to kill a cricket team? I cant understand.

I think it's probably something to do with Muhralitherans dodgy action. They take their cricket pretty seriously in those parts  .

[112-1077774096]

Sh!thouses oh the highest order.  Can someone please explain to me why they wanted to kill a cricket team? I cant understand.

I think it's probably something to do with Muhralitherans dodgy action. They take their cricket pretty seriously in those parts  .

yeah spinners shouldnt throw, however a RPG is over the top, a bouncer would have sufficed   

[Ciggy]

I think it's probably something to do with Muhralitherans dodgy action. They take their cricket pretty seriously in those parts  .

Who the bleedin hell are they when they are around?

Is it because that backward, medieval living in the dark ages Taliban kunts dont like anyone to have pleasure in their lives?

[Big Niall]

The terrorists want to ensure that cricket (a british game) isn't played in pakistan any more, they probably hate it because it doesn't have islamic roots.

I think England should play there in the future as many pakistanis see English men playing a game with muslims and realise that westerners aren't evil.

In the 1970s the England rugby team came to Ireland at a the height of the IRA bombing campaign when other rugby nations were scared to come. It was a way of telling them that they won't win.

I think future England teams going there should be made up of volunteers - probably of single men with no children. Unfortunately sport and politics do mix, think 1972 olympics, apartheid, olympic boycotts etc

[dawson99]

I think it's a bit more than not wanting a British game played. I thought it was the battle between the two countries and terrorism basically. It has nothing to do with Cricket excpet thats the biggest sport which will get the biggest media coverage

[andy_g]

I think it's probably something to do with Muhralitherans dodgy action. They take their cricket pretty seriously in those parts  .

Who the bleedin hell are they when they are around?

Is it because that backward, medieval living in the dark ages Taliban kunts dont like anyone to have pleasure in their lives?

the muralitharans are a dangerous bunch with a suspect but incredibly dangerous armament of doosras. despite the 4 degrees of excessive elbow extension, thus violating the international laws for this kind of attack, it remains a potent force in the hands of the initiated. subsequent dodgy deals involving the australians have seen the laws revised and elbow extension limits extended. i fear an arms race will ensue with extension limits eventually being thrown to the wind. the day when the world wakes up to a 360 degree extension doosra is not too far away and the damage will be catastrophic.

the last thing you want to do when facing one is set yourself full face or your middle wicket will be bouncing off your crease before you know it.

[112-1077774096]

I think it's probably something to do with Muhralitherans dodgy action. They take their cricket pretty seriously in those parts  .

Who the bleedin hell are they when they are around?

Is it because that backward, medieval living in the dark ages Taliban kunts dont like anyone to have pleasure in their lives?

the muralitharans are a dangerous bunch with a suspect but incredibly dangerous armament of doosras. despite the 4 degrees of excessive elbow extension, thus violating the international laws for this kind of attack, it remains a potent force in the hands of the initiated. subsequent dodgy deals involving the australians have seen the laws revised and elbow extension limits extended. i fear an arms race will ensue with extension limits eventually being thrown to the wind. the day when the world wakes up to a 360 degree extension doosra is not too far away and the damage will be catastrophic.

the last thing you want to do when facing one is set yourself full face or your middle wicket will be bouncing off your crease before you know it.

[laza]

So were any maidens bowled over or were they just aiming at men

[bigmick]

I think it's probably something to do with Muhralitherans dodgy action. They take their cricket pretty seriously in those parts  .

Who the bleedin hell are they when they are around?

Is it because that backward, medieval living in the dark ages Taliban kunts dont like anyone to have pleasure in their lives?

the muralitharans are a dangerous bunch with a suspect but incredibly dangerous armament of doosras. despite the 4 degrees of excessive elbow extension, thus violating the international laws for this kind of attack, it remains a potent force in the hands of the initiated. subsequent dodgy deals involving the australians have seen the laws revised and elbow extension limits extended. i fear an arms race will ensue with extension limits eventually being thrown to the wind. the day when the world wakes up to a 360 degree extension doosra is not too far away and the damage will be catastrophic.

the last thing you want to do when facing one is set yourself full face or your middle wicket will be bouncing off your crease before you know it.

 

Yes if he insists on bowling deliveries that completely bamboozle all and sundry, while pulling those silly goggle eyed facial expressions as he does it, he really can't be surprised when somebody thinks they've had quite enough of it and decides to pepper the team coach with a Kalashnikov.

I'm not condonig the actions of a few fanatics obviously, but it must be incredibly frustrating when all sad and done.