LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) — Former Pakistan cricket greats condemned Tuesday's brazen attack on the Sri Lankan team, fearing the country will lose the chance to host the 2011 World Cup.
Eight people were killed and seven Sri Lankan cricketers and a coach wounded when up to 12 gunmen attacked the squad's convoy near the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore with rockets, hand grenades and automatic weapons, police said.
The assault happened as the team was heading for the third day's play in the second Test against Pakistan.
"It is a major, major shock. Teams were already unwilling to come to Pakistan. This will end the game for the next couple of years, including the hosting rights of the World Cup," former captain Wasim Akram told AFP.
Pakistan is the co-host of the World Cup along with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Wasim's pace partner Waqar Younis, who was commentating on the second Test, also feared for the future of cricket in Pakistan.
"It is a big tragedy. Something like this should never have happened. We talk about foreign teams being provided top security but after what happened today I don't see any team coming to Pakistan for a while," he said.
"Even the International Cricket Council (ICC) will now find it hard to allow the World Cup matches to be held in Pakistan. It is gone," Waqar added.
Another former captain, Javed Miandad, said Pakistan cricket had been badly hurt. "It is all gone," he said.
"It is going to be very difficult for us to now convince teams that they can play the World Cup in Pakistan safely," said Miandad, who resigned recently as director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Former spinner Iqbal Qasim said the incidents had shaken the cricket-loving nation.
"What to say of cricket? These events have hit the most vibrant city in Pakistan. For the time being we feel everything has come to a dead end. There will be no cricket at home and we have to play our cricket at neutral venues."
Former paceman Shahid Afridi and ex-captain Moin Khan strongly condemned the incident while on tour in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, where they were visiting a hospital in an area destroyed by a massive earthquake in 2005.
"The future of cricket is in danger in Pakistan. Our country has been surrounded by enemies from all directions," Afridi told reporters.
"The nation should unite to face these challenges."
"I strongly condemn this incident and regret the loss of life and injuries to police and players. This should not have happened," said Khan.
New Zealand previously cut short a tour when a suicide bomb blast outside their team hotel in Karachi killed 19 people in May 2002.
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