After Monday’s bottle throwing incident by spectators during the second T-20 International at the Barabati Stadium attracted widespread criticism from various quarters, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday ordered an inquiry. State Home Secretary was directed to enquire into the incident and submit his report within a month.
Mr. Patnaik convened a high level meeting to discuss the incident in detail after cricket administrators and former international players called for a ban on holding international matches at Barabati.
During the discussion, Mr. Patnaik sought to know how the spectators were allowed to carry water bottles with them. Mr. Patnaik warned the police as well as the Odisha Cricket Association to prevent such incidents in future. The unpleasant incident on Monday had affected the match when South Africa was cruising towards victory against India. The match had to be stopped twice. The crowd behaviour, particularly from two galleries, had continued despite appeal for peace by OCA secretary Ashirbad Behera and Police Commissioner R.P. Sharma. The remaining overs of the match could be played only after the police vacated spectators from the two galleries.
