'Remember that day and those moments so very clearly,' Kumar Sangakkara talks about gaining perspective from 2009 terror attack
MCC President Kumar Sangakkara has revealed that the 2009 terror attack gave him perspective in terms of life and sport.
Sangakkara who is in Pakistan for MCC's tour of Pakistan said this in a press conference ahead of the series. This will be his first time back in Gaddafi stadium after the horrific attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009.
It was post the incident of 2009, cricket series and tournaments were stopped in Pakistan after countries considered it unsafe for playing cricket which resulted in Pakistan finding a new home in UAE.
International cricket is slowly finding its way back to Pakistan now after Sri Laka's visit last year and the recently concluded series against Bangladesh. The visit of Sangakkara and his MCC team will further ensure belief among the other countries that Pakistan is a safe place for cricket again.
Sangakkara told ESPNCricinfo,
I don't think I need any flashbacks, because I remember that day and those moments so very clearly. It's not something I relive or wallow in. But it's an experience you should never forget, because it gives you perspective in terms of life and sport, and you learn a lot about your own values and characters, and those of others.
He also mentioned that experiences like these only go on and strengthen the individuals and feels very fortunate to be back in Lahore.
I have no reservations about talking about it, it's not something that upsets me, but these sorts of experiences can only strengthen you. Today I consider myself very fortunate to be able to come back here to Lahore, and at the same time remember the sacrifice of all those who lost their lives that day.
He believes more teams will be back in Pakistan and they will need time to establish a sense of belief among people around the world.
These things take time. You have to build confidence by sending the right message, then you need the right protocols and the right arrangements in place. But it's great to see it all gathering momentum. More and more teams are talking about it, and more teams are coming back .There's no greater legacy that can be left behind than that, and for MCC to be part of that effort to bring international cricket back to Pakistan, I think we can all be quite proud."
MCC's tour of Pakistan kicks off tonight with a T20I against Lahore Qalandars at the Gadaffi stadium. The match starts at 5 pm local time (5:30 pm IST).