BHUBANESWAR 06-Oct-2015
Probe order and blame game followed the fiasco that took place due to unruly crowd behaviour in the second T20 international between India and South Africa at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack earlier yesterday. While Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered a probe into the unfortunate incident, war of words ensued between former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and functionaries of Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) today.
A section of the crowd in Gallery No 4 threw water bottles into the ground after India were bundled out for a paltry 92. Play was stopped for a total of 51 minutes as the match was disrupted twice due to the shameful incident. South Africa went on to win match by six wickets and seal the three-match series with one game in hand.
Expressing displeasure over the fiasco, Chief Minister Patnaik asked the Home Secretary to probe into the matter and submit his report within a month. He also warned both the OCA functionaries and police to remain cautious to prevent recurrence of such incident in future.
Meanwhile, Gavaskar`s suggestion to ban Barabati Stadium as an international venue for two years was brushed aside by OCA, which said that the cricketer-turned-commentator had no authority to give a decision in the matter.
``Sunil Gavaskar is not the authority to take a decision about venue of international cricket matches. He is just a commentator,`` said OCA secretary Asirbad Behera. He described the incident as the handiwork of a few anti socials, who wanted to defame the state cricket body and tarnish the reputation of Barabati Stadium.
Slamming the boorish crowd behaviour and the police response to it earlier on Monday, Gavaskar told a new channel that Cuttack should not be given an international match for the next couple of years. ``As a deterrent, the BCCI must also stop the subsidy to the Odisha Cricket Association,`` he said.
The OCA secretary, however, assured that all efforts will be made to avoid the recurrence of such unfortunate incident in future. ``We will fully protect the playing arena by covering all the stands with plastic nets,`` he disclosed.
Meanwhile, OCA president and Ranjib Biswal described the unruly crowd behaviour as grossly unfortunate. ``Only a few unruly spectators were responsible for the incident, and 99 per cent of people come to the stadium to see and enjoy the match,`` said Biswal, also a former IPL Governing Council chairman.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Indian players watching the act of water bottle throwing by a section of the crowd duing the T20 match against South Aftica in Cuttack on Oct 5, 2015.
