The Australian umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis are angry at the lack of security arrangements that led to them being shot at repeatedly during the terrorist attack in Pakistan. Taufel and Davis were travelling behind the Sri Lanka bus on the way to the ground in Lahore when the firing began, leaving their driver and seven others dead.

"I'm angry we were isolated, I'm angry we didn't get the same amount of security the playing staff got, and I'm angry that in our hour of need, we were left on our own,'' Taufel said after landing in Sydney on Thursday.

Davis, who was travelling in the same car as the match referee Chris Broad, said in Melbourne he felt "let down" by the officials in Pakistan. "We were certainly left with no security in our van when we were fired upon, security obviously went with the Sri Lankan bus when they managed to get away but we were left there and no one came back for us,'' Davis said.

"We were all down on the floor and weren't gonna put our head up for anything. Our bus was just left in the roundabout and despite them getting back to the stadium, no one came back for us."

Davis said he was angry because "we had all sorts of assurances and despite all that this was still able to happen". "We were put in a very vulnerable position and felt very helpless,'' he said.

Taufel said 25 armed commandos were in the convoy but the umpires were still left on their own. "What I can tell you is we were isolated, left alone and unaccounted for. Looking at that footage, I can't tell you why we're here. I have absolutely no idea. I've seen reports to suggest they haven't caught anyone. I find that amazing. I don't know why."

He said they were "caught in a war". "Sometimes if we have a bad day out on the field, and if we don't get everything right, at least we can say nobody has died," he said. "Well. on Tuesday people died, and as I've just expressed to my family, I can't explain why I'm here. There is no reason for us to still be here.''