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| January 23, 2007 | Tuesday | Muharram 03, 1428 |
Chappell manhandled by Indian fan
BHUBANESWAR (India), Jan 22: India's cricket coach Greg Chappell was on Monday assaulted by a fan who was angry about player selection. Chappell, a former Australian captain, was pushed and hit on the back as the Indian team arrived in Bhubaneswar in the eastern state of Orissa to play a One-day International against the West Indies.
Indian cricket board vice-president Rajiv Shukla said that the 58-year-old Chappell was unhurt and had been immediately rushed into the team bus stationed outside the airport gate.
“My information is that Greg has not been hurt but this is a serious security lapse on part of the Orissa police,” said Shukla, speaking from New Delhi.
“We have demanded that the state government increase security for the two teams.”
The attacker, identified as Biranchi Maharana by local officials, was arrested soon after the incident.
“I am angry with Chappell because no player from Orissa has been included in the national team,” Maharana shouted to reporters before being whisked away in a police jeep.
Bhubaneswar police official Amitabh Thakur said security had been tightened for the teams after the incident.
“There is nothing to worry about,” Thakur told reporters. “The airport was busy since three flights had landed around the same time and the offender mixed with the passengers who were coming out of the terminal.”
Chappell declined to comment on the incident. “I have nothing to say,” he told reporters.
Chappell, who took over as Indian coach in June 2005 for a two-year term, has faced close scrutiny in a cricket-mad nation desperate to see its team succeed on the international scene.
The second one-dayer will be played in neighbouring Cuttack on Wednesday.
India won the first game in Nagpur on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.—AFP
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