CUTTACK 07-Oct-2015
INTERESTING! The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier today asked Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) to explain within 48 hours why spectators were allowed to carry water bottles into Barabati Stadium, which disrupted the T20 international match at the venue between India and South Africa several times before the Proteas won the match by six wickets and sealed the three-match series 2-0 with one match to go.
But within two hours, a seemingly no-remorse OCA responded to the the BCCI notice, sent by the newly elected president Shashank Manohar, saying that the state body will not allow water bottles inside the Barabati Stadium in future. ``We will not allow water bottles inside the stadium henceforth,`` OCA secretary Asirbad Behera said regarding the unpleasant incident.
Manohar in his letter had asked OCA to explain why the spectators were allowed to carry the bottles inside the stadium, which is against the ICC guidelines. Angry spectators had hurled missiles, mainly water bottles, into the cricket groundas South Africa were cruising towards victory against India and halted the match for around an hour.
The BCCI letter came as the incident created a nation-wide outcry over the disruption of the game.+ During the second innings of the match, the spectators at the Barabati Stadium disrupted the game by hurling plastic water bottles on the field. As a result, the game had to be stopped for several minutes twice before most of the spectators were evacuated from the stadium for it to resume.
``We allowed water bottles to the stadium in view of the heat and humidity. The decision was taken on humanitarian grounds little knowing that the water bottles would be misused by the spectators,`` OCA president Ranjib Biswal said.
Meanwhile the Odisha Police tried to distance themselves from the mess by claiming that OCA allowed the water bottles in the stadium despite the restriction. ``We had told them not to allow water bottles. No one was allowed to take the water bottle while entering the stadium. But OCA later allowed vendors to carry water bottles,`` said Cuttack DCP Sanjeev Arora.
Anguished over the shameful incident, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked the state home secretary to probe into the matter and submit a report within one month.
