Trevor Bayliss fears early retirements by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:

TH Bayliss

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DateLine: 21st April 2009

 

Trevor Bayliss thinks some cricketers could shorten their international careers rather than tour potential trouble spots in the wake of the terror attacks on his team in Pakistan last month. Bayliss was on the Sri Lanka team bus when it was ambushed by a dozen or more heavily armed gunmen en route to the stadium on March 3 for the second Test against Pakistan in Lahore. Seven members of the Sri Lanka contingent, include players and an assistant coach, were injured in the attacks which left six police officers and a driver dead. Fear of future attacks could force players into premature retirement, he said.

 

The 46-year-old Bayliss is spending time in Sydney with his family. He is due back in Sri Lanka on May 10 to start preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup in England starting June 5. The former Australian first-class batsman said he expected there would be nerves the next time the Sri Lanka squad assembled for a bus ride to a match venue.

 

The Sri Lankan squad was given counseling and individual players got back into training last month. Many have already resumed international cricket in the Indian Premier League in South Africa. Bayliss said decisions on the tours to India and Bangladesh would be made closer to the time.

 

He said he'd prefer not to dwell too much on the attacks. "I would not mind if we just left it alone and just got on with it," he said. "I don't think about it all that often, it is more when someone asks me about it."