Jayawardene warning for cricket after attack

The Sri Lanka skipper was among seven players who, along with their English assistant coach Paul Farbrace, were injured during a deadly ambush just outside the Gaddafi Stadium which claimed the lives of six policemen and two civilians.

Jayawardene feared for his life as bullets ripped through Sri Lanka's bus and today he led his traumatised team back into Colombo after they had been airlifted by helicopter from the ground and taken home on a specially chartered flight.

Former England Test batsman Chris Broad, match referee for the now abandoned Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, was among those who escaped unharmed. But the driver of his mini-bus, following just behind the Sri Lanka team coach, was killed while a local umpire in the same vehicle is in hospital with critical injuries.

"We were sitting ducks," said Broad.

Pakistan is likely to be a 'no go' area for international cricketers for years to come. But yesterday's attack has shattered any idea that sport would not be targeted by terrorists and security - already tight in countries like England - is bound to increased, starting with this summer's Twenty20 World Cup, which will be centred on the London venues of Lord's and The Oval.

"In hindsight, this could have happened anywhere in the world," said Jayawardene, who escaped with a minor ankle injury. "In the future, I think all of us will step back and look at the bigger picture besides just touring abroad, taking into account our families.

"Every breath I take, I'm glad I can take it without a problem. When you experience an incident like this, your whole life flashes in front of you in a moment."

Broad, 51, is also on his way home, shaken but unharmed.

"There were five of us in the back of the van, all lying on floor just listening to the crack of bullets going on around us and hitting the van," said the former batsman.

"Every time you heard a crack you just thought 'this bullet's for me'. We were unaware of what was going on outside the bus, just that our van was hit several times. The terrorists killed our driver so we were stranded. We were sitting ducks."

Broad described the attack as "a major tragedy for the world of sport and Pakistan itself" but International Cricket Council president David Morgan has insisted that "cricket must go on, it will go on."

Morgan, referring to the terror attacks in Mumbai last December, Morgan added: "I think it was important England returned to India after that but you have to provide the safest possible environment for cricket to be played."

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat also admitted: "It's difficult to see international cricket being played in Pakistan in the foreseeable future."

Neutral venues are already being discussed. Australia, who scrapped their tour of Pakistan 12 months ago because of security fears, may now seek to play their three abandoned Test matches in England, with Lord's among the venues being mentioned.

Both England Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke and MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw have spoken enthusiastically in the past about staging Tests and one-day internationals between two visiting countries.

But wherever cricket is played now, though, the horror of yesterday's events in Lahore will never be far from anyone's thoughts.