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Mad scramble for Ahmedabad tickets
Police had to use mild force to control the fans as the sale of tickets for the fourth One-Day International between India and Pakistan began.
A mad scramble for tickets for the fourth One-Day International cricket match between India and Pakistan was witnessed on Saturday in Ahmedabad forcing police to use mild force to control the fans.
GCA had opened two centres for sale of tickets, one at Navrangpura cricket stadium and the other at Motera stadium, the venue for the encounter on April 12.
Police personnel present at both the venues had to repeatedly intervene as some of the eager fans broke the queue and created commotion.
Mild force was also used to control the restless fans who had literally made a bee-line in the scorching heat.
GCA had set-up loud speakers outside the ticket centers where the fans were repeatedly asked to co-operate.
The heavy rush witnessed in the early part of the day lessened once the officials announced that lower-priced tickets were sold out.
By afternoon, tickets priced at Rs 100, 150 and 1000 were already sold out, GCA sources said.
Alongwith the tickets, GCA also handed out a pamphlet which contains a list of items which the fans should not bring to the stadium.
According to the pamphlet circulated by GCA, fans have been asked not to bring water bottles, radios, binoculars, newspapers, placards or any such items which could be thrown on to the playing field.
The pamphlet also asks fans to carry some form of identity-card or identification with them while coming to the stadium on April 12.
The last international match between India and Pakistan, held at Ahmedabad way back in 1987, was disrupted due to unruly crowd behaviour.
This time round GCA is not taking any chances and has informed the fans well in advance by circulating pamphlets and has also made elaborate security arrangements at the Motera cricket stadium which has a seating capacity of 48,000.
"This time we have ensured that the most of the tickets, approximately about 35,000 will be sold directly to the people through the two counters that we have set up," said Hitesh Patel, GCA executive member.
According to him, the sale of tickets will continue on Sunday if they are not completely sold out by Saturday evening.
