English cricket chiefs are to ask the British government for new legislation to help them deal with pitch invasions after hundreds of Pakistan fans ran on to the field at at Old Trafford here yesterday night. At the finish of the opening one-day international, a tense day/night match where Pakistan beat England by two wickets with four balls to spare, players and officials were engulfed by jubilant Pakistan fans who overwhelmed the stewards appointed to keep them behind the boundary.The scene was reminiscent of Pakistan’s last one-day series in England, in 2001, when their fans staged pitch invasions at Edgbaston and Headingley, where a steward was assaulted, while Australia captain Steve Waugh led his team off the field at Trent Bridge when a match was interrupted. Back then the ECB asked the government for legislation to deal specifically with the problem of pitch invasions at cricket matches, saying loopholes in the existing law meant they could not tackle the problem effectively. Following yesterday’s incident they plan to renew their calls for government action. “We’ll be looking at the legal situation with the home office in the very near future,” said David Clarke, the ECB’s corporate communications and events manager.“Two years ago they told us to use the legislation which covered aggravated trespass, which they believed would do the job, but there is clearly confusion with every police authority we work with.
