The 5th ODI between India and Sri Lanka had to be abandoned ater 23.3 overs had been bowled and SriLanka had mustered 83 runs for the loss of 5 wickets at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground at Delhi on Sunday.
The Delhi crowd had come to the Stadium to enjoy a cricket-full Sunday but their enjoyment was short lived. Thet were expecting India to win today and were happy to see Thranga back in the pavillion on the first delivery of the day bowled by Zahir Khan.
But later, Sri Lankan batsman Thilina Kandamby complained to the umpires that batting was difficult on the pitch due to the uneven bounce in it. Thereafter, Srilankan Captain Sangakara came down on the pitch and told the umpires that this pitch was unplayable.
The match officials and captains from both sides discussed the issue on the ground and the crowd got impatient and realised that no further play was possible..
They started hurling water bottles and chair covers into the ground, while some raised banners reading “I want my money back”. They also screamed “hai hai” and demanded that the curator be sacked.
Some others then started breaking the chairs in the stand and hurled it inside ground.
DDCA officials, including Vice President Chetan Chauhan, offered an adjoining pitch to Match Referee Alan Hurst in a futile attempt to save the match.
The entire outfield was littered with missiles and the security personnel were on their toes to prevent any untoward incident.
Why did this happen? Is this total lack of professionalism on the part of DDCA? . Is it because of so much money being poured into the game and spectator interest is so high that administrators take it for granted that money is important – forget the spectators.
So much of rot has crept in, that no one sees to the fact that he is accountable for the lapses. The is indeed shameful, DDCA. In 60 years of our independence we cannot make a pitch properly and that too, in the Capital of the country.
If this is the state of cricket, the nations favourite game, what do we expect of the organisation Committee who has to hold the 2010 Commonwealth games? As it is most of the Delhi’s flyovers are still under construction and the roads are in bad shape.
It was later declared that the entire ground staff including the curator had been sacked.
Ravi Matah