Following excessive measures imposed by the local police authorities for the DLF-IPL season 4, the Board of Control for Cricket in Indian (BCCI) has cautioned the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that it would be forced to withdraw the play off matches to be played at the Wankhede Stadium here on May 24 and 25. The BCCI has given the MCA three days to sort out issues with the local police, failing which the play off matches would be shifted to Bangalore.
A BCCI source said that the police prevented three top officials of the BCCI - N.Srinivasan (Secretary), Prof. Ratnakar Shetty (CAO) and Sundar Raman (CEO, IPL) - from entering the BCCI premises on April 15 without a police pass.
“They have made difficult for all service providers, including the official broadcaster, catering agencies and the media,’’ said Prof. Shetty.
Right from the first match played between Mumbai Indians and Kochi Tuskers Kerala at the Wankhede on April 15, the police authorities said the reporters and photographers must have a police verification pass apart from the accreditation issued by the IPL. “They are insisting on verification for media and others, but about the 30,000 odd people who enter the stadium,’’ asked a BCCI official.
