Sangakkara says attack on Lankan team in Pakistan has changed cricket forever

London, Mar 26 (ANI): Sri Lankan cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara has said the terrorist attack on the team bus outside Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium has changed the players' approach forever.

Sangakkara said now players would first assess security arrangements and talk to their families before committing themselves to any tournament.

He told the BBC it was a miracle that none of his team members were killed in the attack.

Of the seven Lankan players who were injured, Thilan Samaraweera had a bullet lodged in his left leg while others, including Sangakkara, received shrapnel injuries.

Sangakkara said the incident has changed the security aspect of sport forever and it it is likely that players rather than national cricket boards will take decisions to go on tours.

"There will be a more individual approach to comfort levels when it comes to security. I think [for] international cricket tours, we will have players sitting down with their families and discussing," he said.

Commenting on the Indian Premier League being held in South Africa, Sangakkara said that although the games may still appeal, the atmosphere would not be the same as in India or in Asia.

"The same atmosphere, the same, you know, the music, the shouting, the chanting, you know the sea of people you see. You see 100,000 people inside the ground in Calcutta and another 75,000 trying to force their way in - you won't find that.

"May be it will lose something, I think it will. I think that might be a way to shift it back to India in the season after," he said. (ANI)