You are so brave, MS Dhoni told the man who drove Sri Lanka team bus during Lahore attack

Khaleel met Dhoni briefly during a visit to South Africa.

File photo of former India captain MS Dhoni (PTI)

New Delhi: Meher Muhammad Khaleel was an unknown name in 2009. A terror attack in Lahore changed it all. When bullets were being fired at the Sri Lankan team bus during their 2009 tour of Pakistan, Khaleel was driving them to the stadium. His bravery and quick thinking not only saved the Lankan players but also earned him the reputation of a saviour in the two countries.

When in 2015 Zimbabwe broke the hiatus of international cricket in Pakistan, Khaleel drove their bus. When the World XI was in Pakistan earlier this year, Khaleel drove them as well. And now he is waiting for the Sri Lankans to return to Lahore after they agreed to play the third T20 international of the Pakistan tour, currently in progress at their surrogate 'home' Abu Dhabi.

Following all the appreciation and rewards the brave act earned him, Khaleel spent time doing businesses in Morocco and South Africa before returning to Pakistan. And it was during a visit to South Africa that he met former India captain MS Dhoni, who was in awe of the Pakistani braveheart.

"I saw MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina at that time (in South Africa). Raina spoke very warmly and Dhoni said, ‘you are so brave, you saved them,’ and I told him, ‘mere bhi bhai hain voh Sri Lankans, ek bhai ke liye jaan dene ko taiyaar hai' (they are my brothers as well, I can give my life to save them),” he told The Indian Express in an interview.

Khaleel, the newspaper report stated, has seen terror from up close as his brother was part of the militant outfit Hizbul Mujahedeen. He died in Kashmir. 

“Un dinon mujhahideen bolte the, aaj kal toh terrorist hi bolte hain. One thing I know for sure is all this violence is not going to take one anywhere. What our region needs is peace,” he said.

Khaleel also urged India to come and play cricket in Pakistan.

"All I want is for India to come and play in Pakistan. Pura Lahore khada ho jayega kyunki apna bhai aaya hai ghar mey khelne key liye (entire Lahore will stand up in support of their brothers)," he said.