Then the line went dead. In the ensuing hours, horrifying details of a planned massacre on an international cricket team emerged. Only the quick-thinking of the bus driver spared those on board, including the world's greatest Test wicket-taker, Muttiah Muralitharan.

The terrorists planned to stop the bus by exploding a bomb in its path. They would then shoot its tyres out and board to assassinate players and officials one by one. Instead of slowing, the driver swerved and sped off, which saved some of the most admired sportsmen in the region.

But the attackers were relentless. Several appeared near a roundabout at the commercial Liberty Square, 300 metres from Gaddafi Stadium, where the team was headed to start play on the third day of the second Test. Cars tried to block the bus.

For 25 blood-curdling minutes the bus came under fire as players and officials lay on its floor as bullets whizzed by. Police fought the masked terrorists, who were armed with rifles, grenades and rocket-launchers.

Blood dripped onto seats and the floor of the bus as players were hit by shrapnel, while a bullet penetrated the leg of Thilan Samaraweera, who had run freely in the previous two days to score 214 runs.

One attacker launched a rocket at the bus but his aim was off and the missile hit a building.

Star Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who was hit by shrapnel on the shoulder, told Fairfax radio: "I think we heard a few noises like firecrackers going on, but we knew what had happened as soon as the bullets started coming through the bus.

"A few of the guys in front saw a couple of cars even backing onto the road trying to cut the bus off. I was sitting in the middle of the bus … I didn't see anything, [I] just hit the deck as soon as I got to know that they were trying to attack the bus."

Sri Lanka's Australian coach Trevor Bayliss prayed for the shooting to cease and, when it finally ended, lifted his head to see three bullet holes through the window he had been looking through. All of the injured players were seated directly behind him, with spin sensation Ajantha Mendis bleeding profusely from a shrapnel wound to the back of his head.

Samaraweera's thigh wound was squirting blood profusely. As the smoke cleared, players could see that the six policemen acting as team security officials, and two civilians, lay dead.

Behind the Sri Lankan bus was a van carrying the match officials, including Australian umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis, who were lucky not to have been hit. Their driver, Mohammad Zafar, was killed by a shot to the stomach and their colleague, Ahsan Raza, was hit. Raza's condition was unclear last night.

"It was terrible," Davis said. "The van driver died in front of us. I am lost for words."

A mere 200 metres behind them, the Pakistan team was travelling towards the stadium in their bus, which was unharmed. The Sri Lankan players were rushed inside the stadium for shelter and first aid. Eventually military helicopters flew them to safety.