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Third New Zealand-Bangladesh Test cancelled after Christchurch mosque shooting

New Zealand Cricket said they had decided to cancel the match, which was scheduled to start at Hagley Oval on Saturday, after discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

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Second Test cricket match between New Zealand and Bangladesh at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, on March 10, 2019. (Photo: AFP)
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The third cricket Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh has been cancelled in the wake of a shooting at a mosque in Christchurch on Friday. The visiting team narrowly escaped the shooting after arriving at the mosque for Friday prayers.

The Bangladesh cricket team was in Christchurch to play New Zealand in a third cricket Test which was scheduled to start at Hagley Oval on Saturday.

New Zealand Cricket said they had decided to cancel the Test after discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), said no decision has been taken yet on whether to pull out of the overseas tour at this time, and that Bangladesh would follow the advice of the New Zealand Cricket Council. 

 

Chowdhury said the Bangladesh cricket team are safe and no players were injured in shooting incidents that took place at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday.

"We are in touch with our counterparts at the New Zealand Cricket Council and we have asked them to enhance security around our team," Chowdhury told Reuters on Friday following the incident.

The Bangladesh cricket team, which is on tour in New Zealand, was arriving for prayers at one of the mosques when the shooting occurred.

The Bangladesh cricket team was going to Friday prayers at the mosque, the Masjid Al Noor, when the shooting occurred but all members were safe, a team coach told Reuters.

Media reported that a gunman opened fire inside mosque in Christchurch's Hagley Park district. There were reports of armed police at a second mosque in the suburb of Linwood.

"They were on the bus, which was just pulling up to the mosque when the shooting begun,” Mario Villavarayen, strength and conditioning coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, told Reuters in a message. "They are shaken but good.”

"Entire team got saved from active shooters!!! Frightening experience and please keep us in your prayers," Bangladesh cricketer Tamim Iqbal said. 

"Alhamdulillah Allah save us today while shooting in Christchurch in the mosque," tweeted another player, Mushfiqur Rahim.

"We r extremely lucky...never want to see these things happen again....pray for us." Shrinivas Chandrasekaran, the team's high performance analyst, posted: "Just escaped active shooters!!! Heartbeats pumping badly and panic everywhere!!" 

(With Reuters inputs)

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