Agency :
Shaken Bangladesh cricketers narrowly escaped deadly mosque attacks in Christchurch on Friday that cut short their New Zealand tour and prompted an emotional response from top sportspeople including a tearful Sonny Bill Williams.
Most of the Bangladeshi team and staff had arrived at Christchurch’s Masjid al Noor mosque for Friday prayers when they were warned not to go inside as the shooting unfolded.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said 40 people were killed in attacks on two mosques on what she described as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”.
Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman Jalal Yunus said the team were unharmed but “mentally shocked”, and had been ordered to stay in the team hotel.
“They are safe. But they are mentally shocked. We have asked the team to stay confined in the hotel,” Yunus told AFP.
Mazhar Uddin, a reporter for Bangladesh’s Daily Star who is travelling with the team, said players lay down on the floor of a bus after being warned away from the mosque.
“Just escaped active shooters!!! Heartbeats pumping badly and panic everywhere!!” tweeted Bangladesh high performance analyst Shrinivas Chandrasekaran.
Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal called it “frightening”, while team-mate Mushfiqur Rahim posted: “We r extremely lucky…never want to see this things happen again….pray for us.”
The third and final Test match of Bangladesh’s tour, scheduled to start in Christchurch on Saturday, was quickly scrapped.
Shaken Bangladesh cricketers narrowly escaped deadly mosque attacks in Christchurch on Friday that cut short their New Zealand tour and prompted an emotional response from top sportspeople including a tearful Sonny Bill Williams.
Most of the Bangladeshi team and staff had arrived at Christchurch’s Masjid al Noor mosque for Friday prayers when they were warned not to go inside as the shooting unfolded.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said 40 people were killed in attacks on two mosques on what she described as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”.
Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman Jalal Yunus said the team were unharmed but “mentally shocked”, and had been ordered to stay in the team hotel.
“They are safe. But they are mentally shocked. We have asked the team to stay confined in the hotel,” Yunus told AFP.
Mazhar Uddin, a reporter for Bangladesh’s Daily Star who is travelling with the team, said players lay down on the floor of a bus after being warned away from the mosque.
“Just escaped active shooters!!! Heartbeats pumping badly and panic everywhere!!” tweeted Bangladesh high performance analyst Shrinivas Chandrasekaran.
Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal called it “frightening”, while team-mate Mushfiqur Rahim posted: “We r extremely lucky…never want to see this things happen again….pray for us.”
The third and final Test match of Bangladesh’s tour, scheduled to start in Christchurch on Saturday, was quickly scrapped.
