A cricket match featuring Hyderabad XI and Andhra XI in the inaugural Deccan Twenty-20 Cup championship was abandoned after pro-Telangana agitators shouting slogans invaded the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium at Uppal here on Thursday afternoon.
The agitators moved onto the field within half-an-hour of the commencement of the Andhra-Hyderabad match. As soon as the match started, about 100 agitators trooped into the playing area, uprooted stumps. They raised slogans against the Andhra players.
Sensing trouble, the Andhra batsmen at the crease and the entire Hyderabad team ran back to the pavilion for cover. Later, the police moved in and took into custody some of the agitators.
The match was declared officially abandoned and the two teams were awarded one point each.
A disappointed HCA joint secretary D. S. Chalapathi said he died not expect such trouble at a sporting event. “Definitely, we will take more precautions on the security front in future. Right now, the tournament is on,” he said. Ironically, the organisers had issued paper advertisements inviting the fans to watch the inaugural edition. Apparently, they did not foresee a sporting event to be disturbed.
This is the first sporting event which was affected in the State capital after the agitation for bifurcation of the State was launched. On Wednesday, the All India Inter-state Women’s Cricket championship got over with the organizers heaving a sigh of relief as teams from across the country took part.
