The “Closed Door Stadium” has become a widely used term in the world of sports during the COVID-19 pandemic. To mitigate the spread of the virus, health regulations were followed globally in 2020 and 2021, resulting in many games being played in empty stadiums. Even the Pakistan cricket team had to play under strict biosecurity protocols during that time.
However, now it’s not COVID-19 that’s causing the restriction; it’s security-related concerns. Due to various religious festivals, it’s not possible to provide uninterrupted security for the Pakistan cricket team during their World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand on September 29 at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) had previously requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to change the venue for security reasons. While the BCCI couldn’t accommodate this request, they have found a solution.
Due to insufficient security, the match in Hyderabad is now considered a closed-door event. The local police cannot provide adequate security due to ongoing religious events. However, both teams will have full security from their hotels to the stadium and back.
Even for the World Cup matches, adequate security is not guaranteed, as the same security personnel will be busy with religious events for three days leading up to the matches. The New Zealand-Netherlands match on October 9 and the Pakistan-Sri Lanka match on October 10 will also be night games, and providing security during those late hours is challenging for the local authorities.
This security situation in Hyderabad affects both the World Cup warm-up matches and the main tournament. The other warm-up match for Pakistan against Australia is scheduled for October 3 at the same venue. In the main tournament, Hyderabad will host four matches, including the Australia-England match on October 6. The fate of these matches concerning security arrangements is yet to be determined by the BCCI.
To ensure the safety of players and spectators, the matches may have to be moved to alternate venues or played with increased security measures. The situation is still evolving, and decisions regarding security arrangements for these matches are pending from the BCCI.
