LAHORE Tuesday's attack on Sri Lanka's national cricket team followed years of concern over the safety of players in Pakistan, which was hosting its first Test series in 14 months after several other teams refused to play there.

Timeline

May 2002 New Zealand aborts a tour to Pakistan after a bomb explodes outside the team's hotel in the southern city of Karachi, killing at least 11 French engineers.

• August 2002 Australia cancels a tour to Pakistan over security concerns in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. The series was shifted to in the United Arab Emirates.

• September 2003 A bomb blast in Karachi forces the South African team to postpone its tour by a week.

• October 2005 England refuses to play a Test match in Karachi due to security concerns but agrees to play a one-day international match in the city.

• October 2007 South Africa refuses to play a one-day international at Karachi after an assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The match is shifted to Multan, in central Punjab province.

• March 2008 Australia again refuses to tour Pakistan over safety concerns.

• September 2008 The International Cricket Council postpones the biennial limited-overs Champions Trophy tournament, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, because most of the eight competing teams had reservations about security.

• February 2009 Pakistan hosts Sri Lanka in first test series held in the country in 14 months. The first test ends in a draw.

• March 2009 Gunmen with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers attack Sri Lanka's team on its way to play the third day of the second test. Seven players, an umpire and an assistant coach are wounded, and six policemen and a driver are killed.

• 2011 Pakistan is due to co-host the 2011 World Cup with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The ICC has said it will urgently review those plans now.