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Tight security for one-dayers in Gujarat

Thomas Kutty Abraham

India's riot-scarred western Gujarat state will throw a tight security blanket around venues of three one-day international cricket matches against West Indies it is hosting this week.

The first of the three matches, part of the ongoing seven-game series against West Indies, will be played on Tuesday in Rajkot followed by games in Ahmedabad and Baroda.

Officials said private security guards will join local police and paramilitary troops to guard the grounds and spectators will be passed through metal detectors to prevent unruly crowd behaviour and the possibility of any terrorist attacks.

West Indies lead 2-0 after wins in Jamshedpur and Nagpur last week.

"We are not taking any chances," K. Nityanandam, Gujarat's home secretary, told Reuters.

"All precautionary measures are being taken in view of the situation prevailing in the country."

Police are on high alert in Gujarat to prevent a recurrence of religious violence early this year.

Last month, two gunmen opened fire and hurled grenades at the vast and popular Akshardham temple in Gujarat's capital Gandhinagar, killing 29 and injuring more than 70 people before being shot dead by commandos.

SECURITY GUARDS

The old quarter of the nearby Muslim-dominated Ahmedabad city, the venue of the fourth one-dayer, was rocked by more religious clashes last week.

Vikram Patel, the general secretary of Gujarat Cricket Association, said they will deploy 125 private security guards in stadiums to prevent spectators from carrying anything which could be used to disrupt the match.

"I don't think last week's violence will affect the peaceful conduct of the match. Cricket lovers in Ahmedabad have always behaved well and we don't anticipate any trouble," he said.

The first two games of the series have so far been disrupted by unruly crowd behaviour and match referee Mike Proctor has been asked to submit a report to the ICC on the first Jamshedpur game, which was stopped for 10 minutes as a result of missile-pelting.

But officials said matches in Gujarat have in the past been largely peaceful and smooth conduct of crowded Hindu festivals in recent weeks had helped erase fears of any retaliatory attacks backed by extremist Islamic groups.

"There is no fear (of terror attacks) now. It is comforting to see major festivals, where you had gatherings of several thousands of people being held peacefully," Kiran More, former India wicketkeeper and secretary of Baroda Cricket Association, said.

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