The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Terror threat might shorten cricket careers

Roar Guru
21st April, 2009
0

Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss says the threat of terrorism could lead to some cricketers cutting short their international careers.

Bayliss was on board the team bus that came under attack in Lahore last month from terrorists armed with rifles, rocket launchers and grenades.

He believed the fear of future attacks could lead to players curtailing their careers.

“I am sure that will be the case,” he told AAP.

“It will probably be an individual’s choice.

“If we happen to have a tour to a certain country and there is a little bit of a threat I am sure that some of those players will have that in the back of their minds.

“I am pretty sure that will be an individual thing.”

The father of two is currently enjoying some time off in Sydney before flying back to Sri Lanka on May 10 to resume his duties ahead of the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in England from June 5-21.

Advertisement

The Sri Lankan team bus was nearing Gaddafi Stadium when it came under fire on March 3 and Bayliss admitted there could be some nerves in the team bus when the players assembled together again.

“Obviously it is hard to know how everyone will react the first time we jump back in the bus on the way to the ground somewhere,” he said.

“But at this stage everyone seems to be handling it pretty well.”

Bayliss said it was a good sign that many of his star players were back in action in the Indian Premier League in South Africa.

But he said his men were no certainties to tour India and Bangladesh over the coming nine months because of security concerns.

“We are actually to tour India in November/December for three Tests and five one-dayers and then in January we are supposed to be in Bangladesh for some one-dayers,” he said.

“That will come up in another six months or so, there is a lot of water under the bridge until then and I am sure the correct steps will be made to make sure that everything is fine and that if not, we might not go.”

Advertisement

Bayliss is still prepared to have his contract with Sri Lanka renewed in August to take him through to the end of the 2011 World Cup, being held on the subcontinent.

He said he had received the blessing of his family to continue on and is expected to be offered a new deal from Sri Lanka Cricket in the coming months.

Bayliss said he wasn’t dwelling on the attacks in Pakistan despite coming within inches of being hit by bullet fire.

“It seems like it is a bigger issue to other people than it is to me,” he said.

“I would not mind if we just left it alone and just got on with it.

“I don’t think about it all that often, it is more when someone asks me about it.”

close