Aussie umpire: We were let down

VIDEO: Davis: We were let down

Speaking in Melbourne on his way home to Adelaide, Mr Davis said he still felt numb after he was caught for several minutes in the middle of the grenade and gun attack that killed eight people and injured seven cricketers and match officials.

The driver of the minivan carrying the umpires, which also included fellow Australian Simon Taufel, was one of those killed, while another local umpire was injured.

Mr Davis said the cricketing entourage had been promised a high level of security by Pakistani authorities, but they were left in the middle of a roundabout with no protection when the terrorists started firing.

"We were certainly left without any security when we were fired [upon]. We were all on the floor, our driver was killed. Our bus was just left there at the roundabout," he told reporters at Melbourne Airport.

Asked if he felt let down, he said "very much".

Mr Davis related how he thought the minivan passengers were "goners" as the attack went on, when a man in uniform dived into the bus.

With the dead driver still in the front seat and the umpires on the floor of the bus, one of the match officials, Briton Chris Broad, told the man to drive the van away from the attackers.

But the man said he was unable to, and another man eventually drove the minivan to safety.

Mr Davis said he was naive to believe that cricket was immune to the threat of terrorism.

"I couldn't fathom it was happening to a group of umpires who are here just to umpire," he said.

"I think I'm still numb. I'm still expecting to crash at some stage. [I'm feeling] anger, amazement, I don't know.

Asked if he could return to Pakistan, he said: "I don't know if I can answer that question. [The attack] will change the face of cricket."

Mr Davis will be interviewed by Australian Federal Police officers before flying to Adelaide to be reunited with his partner. He flew into Melbourne from Dubai, to which he and Mr Taufel were evacuated soon after the attack.