Unrest at home helped: Mahela

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said his team���s immediate reaction in taking cover when terrorists attacked their team bus in Lahore was a natural instinct to the continuing unrest in the island nation.

���We have been brought up in a background of terrorist activities. 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 told reporters.

���The attack took place about 500 metres from the Gaddafi ground (in Lahore) by unidentified gunmen who attacked the bus in which we were travelling,��� Jayawardene said. ���During the attack every player took shelter by ducking inside the bus. The security vehicle for the players was also attacked , besides the bus,��� he said.

���We wish to forget this incident, put it behind us and look forward and concentrate on our future matches. We were lucky to come out of the attack,��� Jayawardene said.

Expressing solidarity with Pakistan, the Sri Lanka skipper said the attack could have happened anywhere. ���We were not aware of security lapses. It���s an unfortunate incident. In hindsight, this could have happened anywhere in the world,��� he said.

However, Jayawardene said the attack will force cricketers to stop and think about their families before packing their bags and heading for foreign shores. ���In the future, I think all of us will step back and look at the bigger picture besides just touring abroad, taking into account our families,��� added.

Jayawardene said the players just wanted to spend time with their families now. ���I am a Buddhist and I think we have done some good work in our previous birth to escape with minor injuries,��� he said, adding ���due to the cricketers��� good luck and alacrity shown by other fellow members we had a providential escape.���