Waugh blasts ECB over players' security

Australia captain Steve Waugh accused English cricket chiefs of not taking player security seriously enough after a pitch invasion marred Pakistan's victory in the opening match of a triangular one-day series.

Supporters invaded the pitch towards the end of Pakistan's 108-run win over England at Edgbaston on Thursday, causing play to be held up for 30 minutes.

Australia, the other side in the competition, play their first match against Pakistan in Cardiff on Saturday.

English officials held an emergency meeting on Friday to coordinate plans for tightening security at the Australia game.

"Tim Lamb (chief executive of the ECB) is leading talks with other senior executives and the ground authorities from Glamorgan," an England Cricket Board (ECB) spokesman said.

"Security is an issue we are taking very seriously. The players have a right to feel secure on the field."

But Waugh said it is "only a matter of time" before a player is seriously injured as a result of crowd disturbances at international matches.

"There is little point in me raising my concerns because the ECB refuses to do anything about it," he said.

"We approached them before the tour and they told us it was in the English cricket culture for the crowd to run on the pitch.

"It was up to us (the players) to get off (the pitch) as quick as we could."

TIGHTEN SECURITY

Lamb told the BBC various measures could be taken to tighten security, such as stewarding the boundary ropes more vigilantly and ensuring the players were protected by an 'exclusion zone' in the case of another pitch invasion.

Nick Knight, the England batsman, was struck on the arm by supporters as he fled the field on Thursday night.

Australian team spokesman Brian Murgatroyd said: "Our position is the same as it has been for some time. We are not in favour of supporters being on the field until the players have been able to leave safely at the end of the game."

The last cricket World Cup, held in England in 1999, was marred by a series of pitch invasions and special measures were taken to protect players at the end of games.

Waugh was also caught up in crowd disturbances during a one-day series in the West Indies prior to the World Cup, and he has led calls for security levels to be stepped up.

"It is only a matter of time before a serious injury occurs on the field.

"It is just a case of who is going to be the unlucky guy," he said on Friday.

Mail Cricket Editor