How safe are cricketers in Bangalore?
Indian cricketers are high net-worth individuals and precincts of M Chinnaswamy Stadium were rocked by serial blasts not too long ago when the last edition of the Indian Premier League was staged there.
In July this year, former Indian team captain Anil Kumble lost his bag which had gold rings, credit cards, iPhone and cricket gear at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Yet, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) is staging Corporate Trophy, a BCCI event, which has attracted stars such as Gautham Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Praveen Kumar, without adequate security apparatus in place.
KSCA has not approached the city police to provide security for cricketers playing in Corporate Trophy. It’s a free-for-all at the stadium. Entry is not restricted by passes and anyone can enter the stadium from the different gates. Metal detectors at the entrances are not even activated.
When asked why the city police were not informed about the event in which top corporate teams are participating, Brijesh Patel, secretary, KSCA, said: “It’s a low-key event and there’s hardly any crowd. We are confident of ensuring the safety of players without troubling the city police.”
Shankar M Bidari, city police commissioner, said he was not aware of any match being played at the stadium. “It is the home of KSCA and it is up to them (officials) to decide whether they want to leave their door open for trouble. In case anything happens, then they are accountable,” he said.
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