The India-West Indies One-Day International match on Thursday will be played in a heavily fortified Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor.
The stadium and its immediate vicinity will be taken over by a large police contingent led by City Police Commissioner K.G. James under the supervision of Inspector General of Police (Ernakulam Range) K. Padmakumar.
Addressing a press conference at the office of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) at the stadium, Mr. Padmakumar said that three officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police, 18 Deputy Superintendents of Police, 25 circle inspectors, and 172 sub-inspectors will lead a 2,000-strong police contingent, including women officials.
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Drinking water will be permitted inside the stadium only in plastic bottles. Mr. Padmakumar warned against the unacceptable practice of throwing empty bottles to the ground, which he said brought considerable disrepute to the city as a cricketing venue.
Surveillance cameras will cover almost the entire stadium and those throwing bottles or destroying chairs will be detained. The KCA has mounted cameras at all entrances and the visuals will be monitored from the police control room set up at the stadium. “Police in plainclothes will also be deployed to check hooligans,” Mr. Padmakumar said. The stadium gates will be thrown open to the spectators at 10.30 a.m. There will be no sale of tickets through the counters at the stadium on the match day. Those coming to watch the match drunk will not be permitted inside the stadium.
Parking in the stretch between the main gate and the stadium and around the stadium will remain banned from the night of Wednesday till the match is over on Thursday night. Vehicles found parked in violation of the ban will be towed away.
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Four ambulances will be deployed in the stadium to meet medical emergencies. The police control room can be contacted on the number 94979-90066 in case of emergencies. Hopping from one block to another will not be permitted, as spectators are expected to sit only in their allotted seat in each block.
Those trying to scale the head light tower or such other dangerous spots will be caught and handed out punishment. Items like match box, lighter, tobacco products, and firecrackers will not be permitted inside.
A single entry will be allowed during the course of the match and spectators leaving the stadium in between will not be permitted back in. Spectators are expected to keep the counterfoil of the ticket for inspection by the police or KCA authorities.
KCA president T.C. Mathew said that if the match is abandoned owing to any reason without a single ball being bowled, the ticket fare will be returned within 15 days through Federal Bank branches. “Such a prospect is unlikely as we have got full size cover for the entire ground. Besides, the weather forecast for the day also seems favourable,” he said.