Bangladesh cricket team ‘saved’ from New Zealand massacre while heading to mosque for prayers

THE Bangladesh cricket team was miraculously "saved" from being caught up in the horrific Christchurch massacre.

Players and members of the team's coaching staff were just "minutes" from the Masjid Al Noor Mosque in Hagley Park when the shooting started.

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At least 49 people have been killed in the terrorist attack - with 41 deaths at the Masjid Al Noor Mosque.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared the mosque massacres a "terrorist attack" and said it was one of the country's "darkest days".

Three men and one woman are in custody following the shootings at Masjid Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Masjid Mosque in Christchurch at around 1.40pm local time.

And now it has been revealed that the visiting cricket team were just "50 yards" from the fatal attack.

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Team manager Khaled Mashud said: "Players were crying in the bus, they all were mentally affected."

The team arrived at the mosque on a bus following a news conference at the Hagley Oval - the venue for Saturday's now cancelled Third Test.

It is has been reported that the conference overran and that was why their arrival at the Mosque was delayed.

Mashud added: "There were 17 members on the bus. As a manager I had the responsibility to return to the hotel with the boys.

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"It's really hard, we feel like we were in a movie."

Batsman Tamin Iqbal said: "Entire team got saved from active shooters."

Wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim said the side were "extremely lucky" and that he "never wants to see these things happen again... pray for us".

Performance analyst Shrinivas Chandrasekeran, also on Twitter, posted: "Just escaped active shooters. Heartbeats pumping badly and panic everywhere."

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said there had been a "joint decision" to call off the Third Test, which had been scheduled to start on Saturday in Christchurch.

He said: "On behalf of New Zealand Cricket heartfelt condolences to those affected. I've spoken to my counterpart at Bangladesh cricket - we agree it's inappropriate to play cricket at this time. Both teams are deeply affected."