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Proteas ask for more security
10/04/2008 17:11 - (SA)
Kanpur, India - South Africa's touring team has sought security assurances from the Indian cricket board following reports that militants plan to target the third Test match starting on Friday in this northern city of Kanpur.
South Africa team manager Logon Naidoo wrote to the BCCI expressing concerns over the players' security, a top Indian cricket official told the The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Naidoo had also contacted Indian police officials seeking safeguards.
Kanpur city police and BCCI officials subsequently held a meeting with South African team management on Thursday to explain the security arrangements made inside the ground, around the stadium and at the team hotel.
The threat to the Test match was revealed Wednesday by the CNN-IBN news channel, which quoted unnamed police sources in New Delhi as saying they had information about a possible attack by Islamic militants during the five-day match.
Kanpur's senior superintendent of police, Ashok Kumar Singh, earlier told reporters that 4 000 security staff would be deployed at the Test match venue, including police reinforcements and equipment from districts surrounding the city.
India has been hit by several terror attacks in recent years, including the July 2006 Mumbai train blasts that killed more than 200 people - attacks India blames on Pakistani-backed militants.
South Africa lead India 1-0, going into third and final match of the series.
- AP
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