OCA leaving no stone unturned for the India v England 2nd ODI

Team India last played in Cuttack in November 2015. They lost the match to South Africa by six wickets after a miserable batting performance. They were bowled out for just 92 and the crowd could not digest that well. The game was halted for over 50 minutes after some of the fans in the stadium started throwing plastic bottles in the playing area. With that, the Barabati stadium was on the verge of being blacklisted by the BCCI.

This time around the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) is taking special measures to ensure the discipline of the crowd. There are more than 100 CCTV cameras installed in the stadium premises in order to keep a tab on the fans. All kinds of water carriers are debarred from the ground even fruits will not be allowed.

The officials are expecting a full house and around 45000 fans will be present. “At least 63 platoons of police force and over 300 police officers will be deployed for crowd control, traffic management and security for the players and officials,” DCP Sanjiv Arora was quoted by Indian Express as saying.

The fans will have to go through a series of thorough check up before they enter the stadium. They will be checked thrice by different officers for accessories such as mirrors, bugles, cracker and even helmets that are banned from the stadium.

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Several fire brigade contingents are employed throughout the stadium. It is well equipped if an emergency occurs. There are many fire extinguishers installed around the stadium. The Chief Executive Officer of OCA has warned all the fans, he said: “If anyone is found throwing any missiles in and on the ground, (he) shall be handed over to the police to be dealt with severely as per law.”

Nets are fixed around the stadium and even the boundary is shortened for the safety of the players. The officials and the organizers are giving their absolute best to guarantee a peaceful event.