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Our terror background helped: Jayawardene

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Press Trust of India Colombo

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene attributed his team's immediate reaction in taking cover when terrorists attacked their team bus in Lahore to the situation in his country.

"We have been brought up in a background of terrorist activities," Jayawardene told reporters after the players returned home.

"We are used to hearing, seeing these things -- firing, bombings. So we ducked under our seats when the firing began. It was like natural instinct," he was quoted as saying by the 'cricinfo'.

Sri Lanka has seen civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels who are fighting for a separate homeland.

The Sri Lanka cricketers were on their way to the Gaddafi stadium to play third day of the second and final Test when their bus was attacked by at least a dozen armed terrorists. Six players were injured in the incident while eight others, most of them security personnel, were killed.

 

Jayawardene felt the attack on the team could have happened anywhere and should not blacklist Pakistan.

Also read: Sri Lankan cricket team reaches home

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First Published: Mar 04 2009 | 12:25 PM IST

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