The terrorist attack in two Mosques of Christchurch left Bangladesh team in such distraught state that opener Tamim Iqbal insisted that they need some more time to come out from the trauma.
The Bangladeshi players including Tamim escaped narrowly from the attack as the terrorist fired openly in Al Noor Mosque at Hagley Oval Park, leaving several dead.
Bangladeshi cricketers left Christchurch today as the series concluding last Test was cancelled following the joint decision of both countries that the prevailing condition is not appropriate for playing cricket.
“It will certainly take some time for us to get out of it following the experience that we had here,” Tamim told reporters at the Airport just before boarding for the plane today.
Bangladesh team is scheduled to land at the country at 10.40 pm this night.
”It is better that we are returning to our family because back at home our family members are worried for us,” he added. ”I just hope after returning home we can overcome the trauma as the days progress.”
In the brutal shootout carried out at two different mosques at least 49 people were killed while 40 others were injured that it prompted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to term it a terrorist attack and one of New Zealand’s darkest days.
The Bangladesh team was about to come out from the bus to arrive at the mosque when they witnessed a wounded woman fall in front of them. They were then cautioned by another woman not to enter the Mosque.
They were later taken to in the Hagley Oval stadium’s dressing and thereafter escorted to hotel with tight security.
BCB and NZC hastily made arrangement so that the Bangladeshi squad members can leave New Zealand as soon as possible as they believed it is the only way they can come out from the mental ordeal due to the fact they have witnessed some unexpected bloodshed in front of their own eyes.
In the wake of the situation, to make sure they are not embarrassed further, New Zealand Cricket tightened security remarkably as Bangladesh team left the hotel to go to the Airport.
Though Bangladeshi cricketers looked relieved as they are returning to own backyard they never looked comfortable both at the hotel corridor as well as in the Airport lounge that clearly indicated they were still not carrying a proper mental state.
