Christchurch Mosque Shooting: Bangladesh Cancel New Zealand Tour After Narrow Escape
The Bangladesh cricket team players escaped shooting in a Christchurch mosque, running through Hagley Park before reaching the nearby Hadley Oval (Pic: Twitter, BCB).
Bangladesh cricket team's tour of New Zealand has been called off following an attack on two Christchurch mosques which, police said, involved "multiple fatalities".
The Bangladesh players were on their way to the mosque for Friday prayers on March 15 and narrowly avoided the shooting, before escaping to the nearby Hadley Oval.
Jalal Yunus, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), was quoted by AFP that most of the team had gone to the mosque by bus and were about to get inside when the shooting took place.
Also Read | Indian Cricket Team ‘Caps’ Irony With Nike-Made Valour
“They are safe, but they are mentally shocked. We have asked the team to stay confined in the hotel,” he said.
Tamin Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener, wrote on Twitter: “Entire team got saved from active shooters!!! Frightening experience and please keep us in your prayers #christchurchMosqueAttack.”
The attack was described by New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern as "one of New Zealand's darkest days".
The team stayed in the bus when the players saw signs of the attack. They were initially stopped from leaving the bus but, after several minutes, disembarked and ran through Hagley Park to the ground. They then went back to their hotel.
Also Read | Indian Football’s Super Cup Drama: I-League Clubs Pull Out of Pull-Out
Most of the coaching staff were back in the team hotel while the head coach Steve Rhodes was at the ground. He was contacted and asked to return to the hotel where the team is currently under lockdown.
“We are offering support to all those within the teams affected by the situation and are continuing to take advice from authorities on the ground,” NZC CEO David White said.
The Kiwi board also decided to cancel the two remaining fixtures between the New Zealand Development team and Australia's Under-19 women's team that were due to take place over the weekend.
Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
