NEW DELHI, Oct 17 A cricketer from the Indian occupied Kashmir was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of carrying explosives in his bag, police said.

The arrest came hours before a Champions League Twenty20 match between Cape Cobras from South Africa and Victorian Bushrangers from Australia was to be played at M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka state, said Shankar Bidari, police commissioner.

Pervez Rasool, 21, was in the city for a domestic cricket tournament and his team, occupied Kashmir's under-22's, was staying at the stadium complex.

He was taken into custody after police searched his room following an alarm set off by metal detectors suggesting the presence of explosives, Bidari said.

No explosives were found in his bag.—AP