COLOMBO, April 6 A special ceremony was held here on Monday to honour Mohammed Khalil, the coach driver who drove the Sri Lankan cricket team to the safety of the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 3 amid terrorist fire. Members of the Sri Lankan team attended the ceremony'

Khalil and his wife arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday for a week-long visit at the invitation of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon (ANCL) Ltd, the state owned newspaper publishing house.

Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge announced a cash reward of $5,000 for Khalil.

“We are grateful to this brave man for driving the Sri Lankan cricket team to safety despite bullets raining on them,” Mr Lokuge said.

Thilan Samaraweera, the most seriously injured cricketer, was discharged from hospital around two weeks after the attack.