BHUBANESWAR, OCT 7: Taking strong note of the disruption of the T20 match between India and South Africa at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Moday due to unruly crowd behaviour, the apex governing body of cricket in the country Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sought a report from Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) about the mismanagement as cricketers from across the world reacted sharply to the embarrassing incident.
The second T20, which South Africa won by six wickets and with that clinched the series, was stopped more than once after spectators started pelting bottles on the ground following India’s poor performance.
The match was completed after the trouble-making stands were evacuated.
“In the wake of unruly behaviour by the crowd at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack during the second T20I between India and South Africa on October 5, 2015, the BCCI President, Mr. Shashank Manohar, has asked the Hon. Secretary of Orissa Cricket Association, Mr. Asirbad Behera, to submit a report on the incident within two days,” the Board said in a statement.
“During the second innings of the match, the spectators at the Barabati Stadium disrupted the game by hurling plastic water bottles on the field of play. As a result, the play had to be stopped for several minutes before most of the spectators were evacuated from the stadium for play to resume.
“Mr. Manohar has asked the state association to explain why the spectators were allowed to carry the bottles inside the stadium, which is against the ICC Guidelines,” it added.
Reacting to the development, OCA secretary Asirbad Behera said that the association has already submitted the report today.
OCA has assured BCCI that such incidents won’t be repeated in future, Behera said adding that in future water bottles will not be allowed into the field.
Expressing hope that BCCI will be satisfied with the report, Behera stated that out of the around 45,000 spectators, only a handful were involved in hurling water bottles on the ground.
Notably on Tuesday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while expressing resentment over the ruckus at the Barabati stadium, asked the principal secretary, Home, to probe into the unsavoury incident and submit a report within a month.
Taking stock of the situation, the chief minister asked the senior police officials as to under what circumstances the spectators were allowed to carry water bottles inside the stadium.
