Spectators barred from Pak-NZ warm-up game in Hyderabad

The spectators were barred from the first warm-up game because of lack of security for the match

Hyderabad: While the cricket fans in Hyderabad were already robbed of watching the Indian team in action with no host matches scheduled here in the upcoming ODI World Cup, the warm-up match between Pakistan and New Zealand, scheduled to be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on September 29, will now be held behind closed doors.

The spectators were barred from the first warm-up game because of lack of security for the match. With the festivals like Ganesh visarjan and Milad-Un-nabi around the same period, it becomes difficult for the officials to arrange for security.

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However, the fans who have already bought tickets for the match were left in the dark. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to direct the ticketing partner Bookmyshow to refund the money.

When contacted the official concerned with hosting the match in Hyderabad, he said that they haven’t received any particular direction from BCCI regarding the matter as of till Tuesday.

Earlier, the ICC had rejigged the schedule and allotted back-to-back matches to Hyderabad (New Zealand vs Netherlands on October 9 and Pakistan vs Sri Lanka on October 10). The city police have asked the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) to postpone the game, informing that they can’t provide security on consecutive days. However, with the World Cup schedule already changed once, the ICC and BCCI have denied their request.