FAISALABAD, Jan 20: The Faisalabad district administration is not taking any chances as far as security is concerned for the second cricket Test between Pakistan and India which starts at the Iqbal Stadium from Saturday.
Around 2,000 men have been put on high alert to ensure a smooth and incident-free encounter, the first between the two giants of Asian cricket in this city for more than 16 years.
The large security contingent consists of elite force, plain-clothed sleuths and the local police force.
For the past several days, they had cordoned off the Iqbal Stadium and the five-star hotel where the teams and other officials are staying.
Around the stadium, both within and outside, one could see scores of security personnel patrolling the area continuously. Various kinds of devices have been installed at strategic points to check the flow of people entering the stadium.
According to a local official, the security for the impending match has been beefed up following the gas cylinder incident during the Test against England three months ago.
The Faisalabad District Cricket Association expects a large turnout for the coming match by having distributed 8,000 free tickets. The stadium can accommodate 16,000 spectators.