By Mark Richardson New Zealand opening batsman

Following the first Test one reporter said that if we weren't shell-shocked from the heat we definitely would be shell-shocked by the pace of Shoaib Akhtar.

Little did he know that a day later we would be shell-shocked for real.

I was having a post-breakfast sit-down on the toilet, a place I am quite familiar with on the morning of a Test and a place where I like to do some thinking about the coming challenge.

Whether it was the force of the blast or just a natural inclination to head for cover I'm not sure.

The force of the blast had completely destroyed my room. The front window and ranch slider were shattered and strewn around the room, furniture was broken and my room door was blown off its hinges.

I am very glad none of us were near our windows when the bomb went off.

Once clear of the building and everyone having been accounted for it quickly became an eerie feeling.

Up until then, even with the constant armed security day and night, we had felt quite safe.

We had even begun to make daily trips to the shopping mall and had a feeling that we pretty much had Pakistan wired.

However the bomb blast brought it quickly home to roost that this was not "the west".

What could we expect next? Was the bomb directed at us? It was a feeling of total vulnerability and one I am not keen to experience again ever.

Missed challenge

After an occurrence like that there is no way a cricket Test can be played.

For me it was not so much for safety fears for myself but rather the thoughts for family back home.

You know that they are going to be as worried as hell about you and also in a helpless situation.