England cricket star saves umpire in Pakistan terror shoot out

The former England batsman threw himself over a wounded colleague to protect him as they were caught up in yesterday’s terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan.

Six policemen and two ordinary people were killed and six cricketers injured as 14 masked attackers used machineguns, rocket launchers and hand grenades in the ambush in Lahore.

Chris Broad, 51, father was one of several test match officials travelling in a minibus behind the team bus. The driver was killed and the fourth umpire Ahsan Raza was critically wounded. Nadeem Ghouri, a Pakistani umpire also travelling with Broad, told the Evening Standard newspaper the Englishman dived on top of Mr Raza while the shooting went on.

In scenes that echoed last year's Mumbai attack, young men carrying Kalashnikovs and rucksacks full of grenades moved through the streets firing as they went in a 15-minute gun battle with police bodyguards. Mr Ghouri praised Broad, who was covered in Mr Raza's blood during the attack, saying: "It was very brave." He added: "It was horrifying. There were bullets flying around us and we didn't know what was happening. Mehar Mohammad Khalil said: “I was turning the bus towards the stadium near the main roundabout when I saw a rocket fired at us... it missed us and hit an electric pole, after which all hell broke loose.” Mr Khalil said it was only after a Sri Lankan official on board yelled at him to drive fast that he became “sparked up” and drove off from the scene “as fast as I dared”.

The bus ended up with 25 bullet holes, its front windscreen shattered.The Sri Lanka team members were ushered into the safety of the stadium where the Test match with Pakistan had been due to start. They were airlifted off the pitch by helicopter.

The terrorists, who arrived in motorised rickshaws and a car, first fired at the wheels of the team bus to try to bring it to a halt. It is understood that all 14 attackers got away. A huge manhunt is under way. Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the Mumbai massacre, was named by Pakistani authorities as main suspects. Lahore police chief Rehman said “between 12 and 14 men” took part in the assault and they resembled Pashtuns, the ethnic group that comes from close to the Afghan border, the stronghold of al Qaeda and the Taliban.

By Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children