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The Bangladeshi Test cricket team has been caught up in a deadly mass shooting in Christchurch, fleeing from outside a mosque where they had gone for prayers.
Key points:
- The Bangladesh cricket team was on tour in New Zealand and was set to play the third and final Test in Christchurch
- The team was caught up in a mass shooting that happened during Friday prayers at a mosque near the Hagley Oval cricket ground
- Players ran through Hagley Park to get back to the ground, and later tweeted that they were frightened but safe
The attacks began around 1:45pm local time when witnesses say an armed shooter entered the Masjid Al Noor mosque on Deans Avenue and started firing.
Police said worshippers were also shot dead at another mosque in the nearby suburb of Linwood.
Mario Villavarayen, a strength and conditioning coach with the Bangladeshi team, said the players did not see the shooter at the Al Noor mosque but heard shots.
Villavarayen said the players were shaken but unhurt.
"I spoke to one of them shortly after," he said.
"They didn't see anything but heard gunshots. They were at the ground and just started running.
"The coaching staff were all at the hotel."
ESPN Cricinfo reporter Mohammad Isam filmed members of the Bangladesh team hurrying away from the mosque through Hagley Park after the incident.
Isam said the team had been on a bus that had gone to the mosque around the time of the attack.
Barred from getting off the bus, they waited for several minutes before escaping the vehicle and running back through the park to the nearby oval.
"It was very traumatic there and people were running out from that mosque presumably and the Bangladesh players were coming out," Isam told Fairfax Media.
"They are in terrible and severe mental [distress], they're not feeling well.
"They were just outside the mosque about to get off from the bus and go into the mosque when they heard shooting and a lot of people running out and they saw someone wounded in front of them."
Members of the team posted to Twitter after the incident to confirm they had escaped from the shootings.
Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal tweeted: "Entire team got saved from active shooters!!! Frightening experience and please keep us in your prayers #christchurchMosqueAttack"
In a statement, the Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed that they had been in constant contact with the players and team management.
"All members of the Bangladesh cricket team in Christchurch, New Zealand are safely back in the hotel following the incident of shooting in the city," the board said in the statement on social media.
Christchurch Test cancelled following shooting
The team has been in New Zealand for more than a month, playing three one-day internationals ahead of a three-Test series.
The third Test, due to begin at Hagley Oval on Saturday morning, has now been cancelled.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said they had chosen to cancel the Test after discussions with the Bangladesh board.
"I spoke to my counterpart in Bangladesh and we agree its inappropriate to play cricket at this time," NZC chief executive David White told TVNZ.
"It's quite unbelievable really. We are shocked."
The Australian women's under 19 team are also in Christchurch, with Cricket Australia confirming their safety.
The remainder of their New Zealand tour has been cancelled and they will return to Australia.
ABC/AP
Topics: sport, cricket, terrorism, murder-and-manslaughter, new-zealand, bangladesh
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