Sri Lanka team manager Brendon Kuruppu insists officials were right to take the team to Pakistan.
Team manager defends decision to play in Pakistan
Sri Lanka team manager Brendon Kuruppu insists officials were right to take the team to Pakistan in spite of the attack on the team in Lahore.
"I don't think it was a mistake to come to Pakistan in the first place," he said on
CNN-IBN following the terrorist attack which left five Sri Lanka players injured.
The players received shrapnel wounds when gunmen opened fire as the team bus made its way to the way to the Gaddafi Stadium ahead of the third day of the second Test.
The match and the tour have now been abandoned.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board has given us all assurances that everything would be fine," Kuruppu added.
"We are lucky that none of the players were injured critically.
"It is a very sad situation, but we would have to take this incident into consideration when we plan future tours to this country."
Sri Lanka vice captain Kumar Sangakkara confirmed he and his team-mates were "safe and out of danger" after the gun attacks.
He added: "It's very unfortunate that this has happened.
Incident
"Everything had gone on very well until this morning, but it just goes to show that nothing is as it seems.
"I don't regret coming here to play cricket because that's what we have been doing all our lives. That is our profession.
"But I regret this incident, what has happened and the situation that we have had to go through.
"All we want to do now is to go back home to our families, get back home and be safe."
This was the first Test series to have been played in the country for 14 months.
Australia last year refused to tour Pakistan amid the unrest which followed the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
The Champions Trophy in the country was also called off, while Sri Lanka were only touring because of the breakdown in relations between Pakistan and India.
Pakistan's one-day series with Australia will be played in United Arab Emirates because of the tourists' safety fears.
Pakistan are also co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup, with one semi-final slated for the Gaddafi Stadium.
Following the attack in Lahore, should the ICC review their decision to allow Pakistan to co-host the 2011 World Cup? Let us know your thoughts using the form below.
