A deadly attack on the Sri Lankan teams convoy at Lahore last week that sent shockwaves around the cricket world has not perturbed at least one team with World Cup aspirations from travelling to Pakistan. The national team from neighbouring Afghanistan has been quietly practising in NWFP since March 5, selecting it as an alternate venue last week after gunmen ambushed a convoy taking officials and Sri Lankan players to a test match in Lahore, killing six police officers and a driver.
"We were supposed to train in Lahore but after whatever happened there last week, we immediately shifted the training camp to Peshawar," Afghanistan cricket coach and former Pakistan test batsman Kabir Khan told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Six Sri Lankan cricketers and an assistant coach sustained injuries in the ambush, but none were life-threatening. The team was evacuated immediately and the test series against Pakistan - the first in 14 months on Pakistani soil - was cancelled.
Reaction from around the globe suggested it will be a long time before any top-flight cricket team tours Pakistan again, with even the countrys status as co-host of the 2011 World Cup in doubt. "We are also staying away from the media as security around the ground (Arbab Niaz Stadium) is also very tight and there are dozens of policemen guarding our team," Khan said. Afghanistan is warming up for next months International Cricket Council qualifying tournament in South Africa, where four teams can qualify for the 2011 World Cup.
Comments
Comments are closed.