Tight security for teams in Kolkata

With innumerable security personnel milling around the Eden Gardens and the team hotel the Pakistan team management expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements made for the ongoing cricket tour of India.

With innumerable security personnel milling around the Eden Gardens and the team hotel the Pakistan team management on Friday expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements made for the ongoing cricket tour of India.

“The security agencies and the BCCI have done a good job. We are happy, we are satisfied”, Pakistan cricket board’s media coordinator Javed Akhtar Siddiqui said in Kolkata.

Asked whether the security cover was a bit stiffling, Siddiqui said the security agencies and police had to do their job.

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“They have been always very nice to the team. So we have no complaints”.

The security arrangement, including for the Kolkata Test, which began at the Eden Gardens this morning, has been the same everywhere during Pakistan’s ongoing tour beginning with the first ODI at Guwahati, he said.

Police had gone into a tizzy after a TV news channel forwarded to them an e-mail threatening to disrupt the Kolkata Test and kill the Pakistani players.

Over 5,000 securitymen have been put on duty in and around the stadium and the hotel where both teams are staying.

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Prior to the start of the match this morning, every spectator had to pass through two door-frame metal detectors at each entry point while hand-held metal detectors were used to check them physically.

Journalists were also asked to open their laptops while spectators were not allowed to carry papers inside.

Meanwhile, Pakistan medium pacer Umar Gul, who has been ruled out of the current series with an injury was found at the ground on Friday.

“He will be sent back but when we’ll see”, Siddiqui said.