Lahore, March 3, 2009.

The Sri Lankan team were on their way to the Qaddafi Stadium for the third day's play of the second cricket Test match. Having scored 606 in the first innings, they were eager to press the advantage home, even though the placid wicket was a cause for worry.

The lack of life in the wicket turned out to be the least of their problems.

At the same time that the bus rolled towards the ground, around 8:50am, terrorists armed to the teeth stormed through Liberty Chowk. The intention was a full fledged attack on the Sri Lankan team's convoy.

There were RPGs, hand grenades and guns, enough to launch minor warfare. As the bus approached the attackers took aim.

According to Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene: "For some reason I moved my head to get a better view and a split second later I felt a bullet fizz past my ear into the vacant seat"

Shots rang out in the air landing all over the vehicle, shrapnel flew around striking terrified players, a grenade rolled under the bus, and an RPG flew over the vehicle. Six Pakistani policemen, along with two civilians, were killed in the attack. Seven Sri Lankan cricketers, including Jayawardene and Sangakkara, suffered injuries.

The team survived the incident — not entirely unscathed, visibly shaken. The Pakistani driver, shot and wounded, heroically drove them to safety. Jayawardene called the Sri Lankan president on his cell phone, and asked him to get his team out of Pakistan to the safety back home.

Cricket fields of Pakistan would have to wait more than eight years for another international match.

Text: Arunabha Sengupta

Illustration: Maha