Indian swami ji' to help traumatised Lankan cricketers

Traumatised Sri Lankan cricketers, who came under attack in Lahore, would be helped by a swami ji from India in overcoming their mental agony, apart from an "expert mind reader" who is being brought from London.

"On the advice of the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa we have invited and getting a swami ji from India to give mental boost (to the players)," director general of Sports Ministry Medical Unit, Dr Geethanjana Mendis said on Saturday night.

However, Dr Mendis did not identify the swami ji.

"A Sri Lankan expert mind reader is also being  brought from London to give a mental boost to the cricketers. We are going to get their services to correct the mind and get them back into the cricket field as soon as possible," Dr Mendis said.

Seven players and an assistant coach were injured in the brazen gun and grenade attack by a dozen terrorists on the Sri Lankan cricket team in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Tuesday, which also left eight people dead.

Three players - Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana - and Assistant Coach Paul Farbrace, are still being treated at a private hospital in Colombo. 

Informing that they were recovering fast, Dr Mendis said, "Our cricketers who are admitted to the hospital, Samaraweera, Mendis and Paravitara are doing very well. They are recovering very well. Apart from that our assistant coach Paul is also recovering very well. So they should be out from the hospital in another 4-5 days time."

"Apart from that, the cricketers, who have been discharged now, have been treated. The cricketers who had not been injured are out of their mental trauma," the DG said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the attack, skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who was discharged immediately after being given first aid in the hospital, said, he was glad to be in "one piece."

"I'm just very happy that I could see the family and come back to Sri Lanka in one piece and that every breath I take I am pretty glad that I can take it without a problem," Jayawardene had said after arrival at the airport.

His team mate Prassana Jayawardene said, the attack came from all sides and that he thought the next bullet of the terrorist would hit him.

"We were confronted from all sides. We lay on the floor immediately...We also heard several people shouting. But we could not have anyone around. I thought the next bullet will hit me. I thought the bus will explode any moment," Prasanna said.

Praising the driver of the bus, who drove them away from the attack area, another team member Malinda Warnapura said, "despite a flat tyre, the driver of the bus managed to take the players to the ground. There was nothing we could do. I think we were saved by the grace of god. But it was a huge experience".

Pacer Nuwan Kulasekara said he felt the bullets were flying over the head of the team members...They were told to duck when the attack took place.

Thilan Thushara, another member who was present in the bus during the attack, said, he was shocked by the spray of bullets by terrorists.