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Commandos to protect Proteas
10/04/2008 20:27 - (SA)
Sandeep Nakai
Kanpur - Indian police commandos will be deployed to protect the South African team following reports that militants plan to target the third Test match starting on Friday in this northern city of Kanpur.
Security for the team was increased on Thursday after a meeting between South African team management, officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Kanpur city police.
South Africa team manager Logon Naidoo had written to the BCCI expressing concerns over the players' security.
Rajiv Shukla, vice-president of the BCCI, said South African team officials were satisfied with their security after being briefed about the arrangements.
"South Africans are satisfied with the security arrangements," said Shukla, who is also the secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association.
Kanpur city police and BCCI officials met South African team management 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 on 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 leads India 1-0, going into third and final match of the series.
- SAPA
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