Chaos at revamped Kotla warm-up tie

Wednesday April 16, 01:19 AM

New Delhi, April 15: The Ferozeshah Kotla was a picture of chaos and mismanagement on Tuesday while hosting its first match — a practice knock — between a Karthik XI and a Sehwag XI under newly installed floodlights.

The game, initially meant to be free for public viewing, saw crowds being denied entry without proper invitations and facing threats of a lathicharge, and sections of the media too being manhandled at the gates by security agencies and Delhi police.

Police personnel nor the second tier security G4Securitas guards were clueless about who to allow or not from which gate. Fans had to wait outside the stadium and look out for passes, without no avail.

The Delhi & District Cricket Association officials tried to douse fires by blaming the Delhi Indian Premier League team owners GMR Sports for the chaos, while the franchise denied any involvement in the event.

Incidentally, Delhi gets its first taste of actual IPL action on Saturday when they take on the Rajasthan Royals.

Earlier, Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sharad Pawar and Delhi chief minister Shiela Dixit inaugurated the spruced up Kotla and felicitated Sehwag for his second triple century scored against South Africa in the recently concluded Test series at Chennai.

Cricket Australia president Creagh O’Connor who had taken off the curbs on the media during Sri Lanka’s tour to Australia last year amidst threats by news agencies to boycott the matches, was unable to recall the incident or comment on the guidelines imposed on news agencies and websites by the IPL.

On the other hand ICC advisor I.S. Bindra felt that the issue was already sorted out.

"I think the issue has been amicably solved but if it has not been looked into I will ensure that the needful is done," Bindra said.

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