Christchurch terror attack: Bangladesh cricket team narrowly escaped shooting

The Bangladesh cricket team only narrowly escaped the Christchurch mosque massacre after they left for a press conference.

The team had been at the Deans Ave mosque earlier on Friday to pray, which was one of the locations targeted in the attack.

The team then had to leave to attend a press conference - which finished later than expected. It was as they returned to the mosque to pray a gunman began shooting.

"They got out the front of the mosque, they did not get in, they went back to the stadium rather than the bus, as someone suggested they would not be safe on the bus," Newshub was told.

"They were actually shaking hands with people out the front, they saw dead people."

Journalist Barshon Kabir, who works for Bangadesh news outlet NTV, tweeted it was just a 10-second delay that saved the cricket teams' lives.

"Most of the cricketers are traumatised after this incident. It was only 10 seconds what saved the @BCBtigers team," he wrote.

Soon after, ESPNCrincinfo correspondent Mohammad Isam tweeted footage of the touring Bangladesh cricket team fleeing through Hagley Park.

"Bangladesh team escaped from a mosque near Hagley Park, where there were active shooters," said Isam. "They ran back through Hagley Park, back to the Oval."

Witnesses say batsman Mushfiqur Rahim was in tears immediately after attack.

In the aftermath, the Bangladesh tour has been cancelled.

NZ Cricket chief executive David White described the decision to end the tour as "a no-brainer" and players never considered playing, once news of the shooting broke.

Newshub.