Return
to Story Page
To print: Select File and then Print from your
browser's menu
S
Hyderabad, Nov 7: India and New Zealand had a harrowing time at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium here today due to lack of adequate practice facilities and milling crowds, who had free access to the playing area, on the eve of the second One-day cricket tie.
To add to the Kiwis' chagrin, they could not practise at all as the only area earmarked for it was taken by India.
The visitors were asked to have a net session at the Gymkhana ground in neighbouring Secunderabad but returned cold because the facilities there were ``substandard'', according to captain Stephen Fleming.
``We are disappointed at the facilities here which are not of international standards,'' Fleming told reporters after his team waited in the middle for nearly one and half hours to have some nets.
Indian coach Kapil Dev also criticised the poor facilities by saying his best bowler could not bowl to his best batsmen as the practice wicket was damp. He did not want to risk any injuries.
``You have seen with your own eyes whatfacilities were there... I will mention these things in my report to the Board. There should be some way to control the crowd from entering the playing area and disturbing practice,'' he fumed.
Kapil was emphatic that ``practice wickets should be better organised. It is the system which the Board has to improve''.
When scribes asked him about he being a member of the Ground Committee, Kapil said, ``Let's talk about the match since I have resigned from that committee. I do not want to comment on this aspect. I would only give my report to the Board.''
The private security firm hired by Hyderabad Cricket Association allowed all and sundry free access to the ground.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
------------------------------------------------------------