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12 masked gunmen have attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team on their way to the Gaddafi Stadium at 8:40am local time today. Seven policemen have reportedly been killed in the crossfire that lasted twenty minutes. The gunmen were heavily armed, carrying grenades, Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers.

Seven Sri Lankan cricketers and one member of the support staff have reportedly been injured in the incident including Thilan Samaraweera who was shot in the leg, and another player reportedly Tharanga who was shot in the chest.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the other injured players include Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis and Mahela Jayawardene, all of whom received shrapnel wounds.

None of the injured players are repor tedly critical, and all have been released from the hospital. The Sri Lankan team has been taken to a secure undisclosed location and is likely to be flown to Dubai on their way to Sri Lanka later today. Three doctors are likely to accompany them on the trip.

The test match has ofcourse been cancelled, and it seems quite likely that it will be a long time before any country will be prepared to send a sporting delegation to Pakistan. One thing is for sure, it seems to be the beginning of the end of cricket in Pakistan.

In May 2002 the New Zealand cricket team hotel was attacked by a suicide bomber in Karachi, leading to the cancellation of that tour. Though the team escaped unscathed on that occassion, New Zealand physiotherapist Dayle Shackel did suffer a minor bruise on his arm and 14 locals lost their life due to their proximity to the blast.

This however has been the first direct assault specifically targetting international cricketers, and has left the entire cricketing community in utter disbelief. Though this may not be the best time to say so, it does vindicate the decision of the Board for Cricket Control in India's to pull out from their tour of Pakistan. It is that very decision that led the cash strapped PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) to look for alternate opposition, which resulted in this current Sri Lankan tour. Pakistan has not hosted a test match since 2007.

Pakistan's chances of co-hosting the 2011 World Cup have almost certainly disappeared too, a view confirmed by some of the game's premier thinkers. "I don't see the International Cricket Council (ICC) allowing World Cup matches to be held in Pakistan now. It is gone," former skipper Waqar Younis told news agencies.

ICC president David Morgan said, "Things will have to change dramatically in Pakistan, if any of the games are to be staged there."

In a small vote of confidence for the beleagured nation, Cricket Australia confirmed that it will proceed with an ODI series against Pakistan which, due to security concerns, had already been shifted to the United Arab Emirates. A final decision on the same will however be taken by the weekend.

More details to be posted, as the picture in Pakistan becomes clearer.

File Photograph Sangakkara in happier times,  Copyright: Tony Patterson