November 02, 2007	Friday	Shawwal 20, 1428

MUMBAI, Nov 1: Concerned by crowd behaviour during the recent one-day series against Australia, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not in a mood to take chances against touring the Pakistan team.

“Obviously behaviour of certain sections of crowds against some of Australian players was all but good. They probably uttered a few words which weren’t in good taste,” the BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said on Thursday.

“That doesn’t mean security wasn’t tight at those venue. But you can never be sure how crowds will behave sometimes regardless of venue and the country.

“We don’t want to take any chances and take all necessary steps to provide full security to Pakistani players. Whenever a foreign team visits India, we try our best to look after the players’ security. This applies to Australia, Pakistan or any other overseas squad. As always, the Home Ministry steps in when it comes to making security arrangements for a visiting team.”

Shah said considering tense ties between India and Pakistan, and also “zeal and passion” with which spectators follow cricket between these two arch-rivals anywhere in world, every hosting association was given “special instructions” to ensure “full-proof” security measures for the Pakistan team.

When Pakistan played at Kolkata in 1999 in the Asian Test Championship, there was crowd trouble at the Eden Gardens when Sachin Tendulkar was declared run out after he collided with Shoaib Akhtar in second innings (Shoaib bowled Tendulkar for a golden duck in the first innings). Police and security personnel had tough time to drive away troublemakers. In the end, the Test was completed in an empty stadium with Pakistan winning by 46 runs.

Fortunately, last the India-Pakistan series in 2005 in India was free of any controversy. But BCCI is “extra watchful” this time at all venues, including Kolkata, according to Shah.

“It isn’t BCCI but police that provides security. We haven’t anything to do about it. It’s the responsibility of the police,” said the BCCI chief administrative officer Prof Ratnakar Shetty.

Shah said private security personnel would be deployed in addition to police at each venue to provide “necessary security cover.

Heads of associations hosting the ODIs and the Tests against Pakistan are working in collaboration with police authorities to take best of security measures. There will be tighter security both at stadiums and team hotels throughout Pakistan’s tour of India”.—Agencies