Says Ajitpal Mangat who directed cricket flick Victory and worked closely with Lankan cricketers
Says Ajitpal Mangat who directed cricket flick Victory and worked closely with Lankan cricketers
India woke up today to news of a mad man opening fire at the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in Lahore.
The players were heading towards the Lahore stadium for their match with Pakistan and because of the firing, seven players from the team were injured some of them very seriously.
Filmmaker Ajit Pal Mangat relives his account of hearing the dreadful news and his first thoughts after the attacks.
Where were you when you first heard about the shooting?
I was at home and my father-in-law called me to tell me what had happened. I followed the rest of it on the television.
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What were your first reactions?
Obviously, it's a shocker. Even though I haven't worked with the entire team, I knew them and I was pretty close to three-four of the players during the shooting of my movie Victory. What has happened to these harmless sportsmen, is a disgrace.
Do you think the security was lacking?
None of the international teams wanted to go and play at Pakistan and then, the Sri Lankans decided to go. Obviously, the security might be tight but then goof-ups happen; look what has been the result of this.
Have you called any of your friends in the team?
No, I messaged Ajantha Mendis but I think players get a local number when they are travelling and that's the reason I haven't got any wordu00a0 from him. But I messaged Jayasuriya and he said that all's well now and that the players have started to make their way back from the hospitals.
Do you think the TV news was exaggerated?
No I think they were just trying to bring in the facts. It is coming from so many different filters, but I think they all handled it very well.
Did you know any of these cricketers' families?
No I have never interacted with any of them. But one can only imagine what must been going through their minds after all this went down.
How are you feeling at the moment?
Very frustrated. I can't believe that someone can be brainwashed to this extent that they do things so irrationally. If these groups are trying to get sympathy, they are highly mistaken. Shooting innocent cricketers won't get them anything they desire. It is a sad day for cricket and nothing is going to change that.
Do you think this will affect cricket in Pakistan?
I am absolutely certain that cricket in Pakistan will be affected immensely after this whole episode. Pakistan will become a dreaded destination now for cricketers all over. Not only them; more so their families who will advise them against travelling to the country. The world over, countries are against Pakistan for a few months now and this will be the final blow. It's sad though thatu00a0 because of certain people with certain beliefs, an entire country gets a bad name.
Do you think the IPL will be affected?
I think the IPL heads would want to beef up their security plans for this year's installment. Secondly, the Sri Lankan players in various teams will also be sceptical.
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