Not Cricket
Violence erupted after the crowd waited several hours for the 5th India-England one dayer to start. Excessive rain meant the match was delayed and later called off. Did the Guwahati crowd have to behave in such a manner? Could the BCCI have improved the facilities for draining the water at the ground before scheduling an international match here? Was the security lacking?
Simon Mann writes in his column for BBC:
The Nehru Stadium resembles a ramshackle English football ground from the 1970s, but the BCCI’s attitude appears to be that if spectators continue to turn up in vast numbers, everything must be fine. That is a short-sighted and misguided approach.The authorities could start by providing cover for spectators, the vast majority of whom are forced to sit for hours exposed to the sun.
Money will be returned to the spectators. It is less certain if and when Guwahati will have another international cricket match.
All I know is that this is not cricket.
Update: Cricinfo’s The Surfer does a nice round up of what the British Media has to say on the incident.
Tags: BCCI, Crowd Violence, England in India 2006, English Cricket, Guwahati, Indian Cricket, Rain.
April 10th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
It is really a sad day for cricket. Passion for cricket is admirable but violence of any form can never be supported and justified. BCCI has become now a billionare and will earn more money.
BCCI should invest some more
money in improving the infrastructure of cricket grounds in places like Gawahati.
April 11th, 2006 at 7:06 am
Absolutely, Razib.
September 24th, 2006 at 6:17 pm
nehru
Can u provide more information about this ?