ECB gets tough on unruly crowds

India Abroad correspondent in London

Tough new measures have been put in place by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) following the match invasions by Pakistani fans in the last match at Edgbaston.

The new measures were taken by the ECB at an urgent meeting called in London Friday afternoon following complaints that England player Nick Knight was assaulted during the field invasion in Edgbaston.

"We intend to follow up on our decisions firmly," a spokeswoman from ECB told rediff.com as the meeting ended.

ECB chief executive Tim Lamb said in a statement after the meeting: "The crowd incursions on to the playing area last night were totally unacceptable and we are doing everything we can to ensure that there is no repetition during any of the other matches in the NatWest Series."

Lamb said: "Our first priority is to protect the safety of the players, umpires and spectators, and we have therefore decided to act swiftly and implement a number of immediate remedial measures." The ECB has contacted staff at the remaining venues for the current NatWest one-day series to put new measures in place.

These include:

Increased staff for stewarding around the ground

  Increased security around players' dressing room area and in the pavilion area

  Provisions to suspend play if spectators enter the field while play is in progress

  Fans who steal stumps and bails and who damage the pitch will face prosecution from the police - prosecution the ECB will insist on.

  Appointment of an Urdu-speaking public address announcer for matches where Pakistan is playing.

It is the last provision that is the most pointed one, and one that bluntly makes the point that it is with Pakistani fans that the trouble lies, rather than with fans from other countries.

The first signs of increased security should be visible at Cardiff in Wales where Pakistan play Australia on Saturday.

Mail Cricket Editor