Abu Dhabi: Images of his wife and three daughters — the youngest just 14 months old — kept flashing in his mind as he lay wounded during the terrorist attack in Lahore on March 3.
Umpire Ahsan Raza miraculously survived the bullets and was back in action as the fourth umpire in yesterday's third and final One-day International between Pakistan and New Zealand in the Cool & Cool Cup.
The 36-year-old Pakistani, speaking to Gulf News from his hotel room as he prepared for the match, a virtual "second innings" in his life, recalled those terrifying moments when terrorists attacked a convoy taking the Sri Lankan cricket team to a match at Lahore on March 3, killing the driver of Raza's van and six policemen.
Painful
More than a dozen gunmen used rifles, grenades and rocket launchers to attack the convoy as it approached Gaddafi Stadium injuring Sri Lankan cricketers Thilan Samaraweera, from whose left thigh a bullet had to be removed, and Ajantha Mendis, who had head injuries from shrapnel.
"I was in the van and one bullet hit my stomach while the other pierced through the lungs. I was lying in a pool of blood and people were scared to come near us as it was raining bullets all around," said Raza, who said after that he fell unconscious.
"As you know, our van driver [Zafar] died on the spot while the liaison officer with us took a bullet in his shoulder. It was a horrible, horrible incident and very painful for me and my family," said the former first-class wicketkeeper and batsman.
"The image of my children and wife was that kept me fighting and today I am grateful to so many people and their prayers," said Raza, who also played professional cricket for Kingston Club in London and Motherwell Club in Scotland before being named in the ICC team of fourth officials.
Brave face
"My daughters are aged seven, three-and-a-half and 14 months. My firm belief is that only parents are there only to take care of their kids and not any other relations. I just kept a brave face taking all the pain," said Raza, who needed 22 bottles of blood.
Raza, who used to play for Habib Bank, thanked Aleem Dar, the Pakistani umpire who this year was named ICC's best umpire, and said, "He kept telling me of the messages from umpires from around the world. The press highlighted my case and people from all over prayed for my recovery.
"Twice during the initial stages after my hospitalisation, the doctor told my younger brother that chances of my survival were bleak — ‘sorry, very difficult case' — so to be back here as a fourth official I can only thank God the Almighty," said Raza, who spent 26 days in the ICU and now begins his life's second innings.
