Shaken Lankan cricketers arrive to emotional homecoming

Colombo, Mar 4 (PTI) Sri Lanka's traumatised and injured
cricketers, who survived a brazen terrorist attack in Lahore,
returned to an emotional reunion with family members early
Wednesday morning.

A special chartered plane carrying all the Lankan players
and officials arrived amid tight security at the Colombo
airport at around 3 a.m.

Among the injured, Thilan Samaraweera was stretchered out
while Ajantha Mendis walked out with a bandaged head. Skipper
Mahela Jayawardene, who also suffered minor injuries, was
hugged by his wife and the couple cried in each other's arms.

Dilshan Tillakratne kissed his infant baby while
recounting Tuesday's horror, which claimed the lives of six
policemen and two civilians.

Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge was also there to receive
the team along with the tearful relatives.

Samaraweera, who was hit by a shrapnel in the leg, and
opener Tharanga Paranavitana, also injured in the attack, were
taken to a government hospital from airport.

"Both of them may need further treatment and surgery,"
said Geethanjana Mendis, a sports medicine specialist who
travelled to Pakistan to assess the wounded.

Apart from Jayawardene, star wicket-keeper batsman Kumar
Sangakkara and mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, Suranga Lakmal
and Thilina Thushara also received minor injuries in the
attack near the showpiece Gaddafi Stadium where the players
were being taken for the third day's play in the second Test
against Pakistan.

Assistant coach Paul Farbrace also sustained minor
injuries in the ambush attack, carried out by a dozen masked
terrorists armed with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers
Tuesday.

The tour was called off with immediate effect.

Jayawardene said the players want to get over the tragedy
and spend time with their families.

"We wish to forget this incident, put it behind us and
look forward to our future commitments. We were lucky to come
out of the attack," he told reporters.

The Lankan captain said being from a country that has
been a victim of terrorism, his team could react quickly
Tuesday.

"We have been brought up in a background of terrorist
activities. We are used to hearing, seeing these things --
firing, bombings. So we ducked under our seats when the firing
began. It was like natural instinct," he said.

"I am a Buddhist and I think we have done some good work
in our previous birth to escape with minor injuries," he said
adding that "due to the cricketers' good luck and alacrity
shown by other fellow members we had a providential escape,"
Jayawardene said.

The middle-order batsman said surviving the attack was a
miracle that his team was yet to believe.

"Initially, of course, I was worried as there were bullet
holes in some parts of our bus. Somehow we escaped," he said.

Jayawardene also expressed the team's "deepest and
heartfelt condolences" to the families of those killed.

Sangakkara said the players were "relieved to be back
home."

The parents of injured medium pace bowler Suranga Lakmal
hugged and cried when their son walked out of the airport
lounge.

"He is our only son. We have not eaten anything since we
heard the news," they said.

Sri Lanka had agreed to tour Pakistan despite the high
security risk after India refused to travel to that country
owing to safety concerns in the strife-torn nation. PTI TVS
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