Pakistani authorities and broadcasters blanked out news of a suicide attack near Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium to ensure that it would not impact a game between the national cricket team and Zimbabwe, the country’s information minister has said.
The attack has raised questions about whether the tour by Zimbabwe, the first by an international side since the Sri Lankan team was attacked by terrorists in Lahore in 2009, would continue. The blast occurred when a day-night match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe was underway. The 50-over match continued uninterrupted and was won by Pakistan.
Information minister Pervaiz Rashid confirmed to the media that the blast near the Gaddafi Stadium which killed two people, including a police officer, was a suicide attack. Rashid praised the Pakistan Broadcasters Association for "covering up" the news while the match was underway.
Soon after the blast, the Pakistan Cricket Board issued a statement that said it was a "power transformer blast" caused by malfunctioning. TV news channels initially reported there was an explosion close to Gaddafi Stadium but later removed news about the blast off air after it was claimed that an electricity transformer had blown up.
The Pakistan Broadcasters Association decided in conjunction with the information ministry not to report the incident to avert any untoward incident such as a stampede at the stadium, Geo News reported. More than 20,000 people were in the stadium and panic could have caused a stampede, Rashid said.
The government of Pakistan’s Punjab province has given "presidential" security to the Zimbabwe cricket team to ensure no terror incident takes place during its tour. Rashid said a sub-inspector lost his life trying to stop the suicide bomber. Six people were injured by the blast at a spot less than a km from the stadium.
"An attempt to attack the Gaddafi Stadium was foiled by the gallantry of a police official, who lost his life while trying to stop the attacker near Kalma Chowk," Rashid told Geo News. Media reports said policemen stopped the bomber before he could enter the outer wall of the stadium when he blew himself up.
This is the first tour of Pakistan by any international cricket team since the March 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore's Liberty Chowk, also located near Gaddafi Stadium, in which six members of the visiting team were injured.
Pakistan win first ODI series in 17 months
Pakistan won their first one day international (ODI) series in 17 months with a thumping victory in the second day-night international against Zimbabwe in Lahore. Azhar Ali hit a 104-ball 102 for his second one-day century to help Pakistan chase down a target of 269 in 47.2 overs at Gaddafi Stadium for a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
For Zimbabwe Pakistan-born Sikander Raza smashed an 84-ball 100 not out with eight fours and three sixes while Chamu Chibhabha's career-best 99 had 11 fours and a six which lifted the score to 268-7.
Pakistan won the first match by 41 runs in Lahore. The one-day win followed Pakistan's 2-0 win in the preceding Twenty20 matches in the series which marked the return of international cricket in the country after a six-year gap. International cricket remained suspended in Pakistan since terrorists attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009. Ali hit eight boundaries in his 104-ball knock and improved on his best score of 101 - made against Bangladesh in Dhaka last month - before falling with 69 needed to win.
Haris Sohail made 49-ball 52 with six fours and Shoaib Malik scored 20-ball 36 with four boundaries and a six to seal the win during their unbroken 60-run fifth wicket stand. Ali set the victory tone by adding 46 for the first wicket with Sarfraz Ahmed (22), 85 for the third wicket with Asad Shafiq (39) and 56 for the next with Sohail.
Earlier Raza was in brilliant form as he lifted Zimbabwe with a flurry of boundaries, taking 59 in the last six overs. This came after Chibhabha became the first Zimbabwean batsman to be dismissed for 99 in a one-day international.
Before Chibhabha, three Zimbabwean batsmen - Malcolm Waller, Alistair Campbell and Andy Flower - all made 99 in a one-day for Zimbabwe but they all remained not out. Zimbabwe, forced to make four changes after their regular captain Elton Chigumbura was suspended for two matches over slow over rate in the previous game, were given a solid but slow start of 83 by Chibhabha and Vusi Sibanda (13).
