British Govt. mulls over pitch invasion problem

By Ted Corbett

NOTTINGHAM, JUNE 18. The British Government stepped into the pitch invasion controversy on Monday when Mr. Richard Caborn, the new Minister for Sport, promised a meeting with the Home Secretary, Mr. David Blunkett, and instructed his officials to see what could be done. ``This is not just an English issue,'' Mr. Caborn, who has been in the post for only a week, said.

``It is an international matter and we will have to work with the International Cricket Council.'' I understand he and Mr. Blunkett will talk about fines for pitch invaders.

In the long term cricket officials feel that they need help from legislation but there was a growing feeling among the top ranks of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that it will be a long time before Pakistan is invited to take part in a one-day competition in this country. ``Our grounds are open and that is the way we like it,'' one said. ``We don't want high fences, barbed wire and lots of policemen. It is certain that we cannot continue as we are and not playing Pakistan in future one-day matches seems to be the alternative.''

ICC is meeting at Lord's this week and is expected to discuss the two incursions by Pakistani fans who have gone on to pitches and created havoc at the end of matches against England in the triangular tournament.

On Sunday night a steward was first hit in the face with a stump and then kicked so that he was taken to hospital with fractured ribs and a damaged spleen.

After a meeting with the chief executive of the Australian Cricket Board, Mr. Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the ECB, Mr. Tim Lamb, played down rumours that the Australians had threatened to boycott the match at Trent Bridge tomorrow night.

``I think we have been able to persuade them that the measures we have taken will prevent further trouble,'' said Mr. Lamb. He added that there would be a further meeting before the match tomorrow and that play would be suspended if there was another pitch invasion.

``The ECB take these matters seriously and wants to ensure that there is no repeat,'' Mr. Lamb stated.

Various officials of the ECB condemned the invasions but are at a loss to know how to cure the problem in the short term. Talk of Government legislation which would bring heavy fines on anyone who runs on to the pitch is premature since it could not be in place by the final at Lord's on Saturday when Pakistan plays Australia.

In Australia fines of A $ 5,000 are handed down for anyone who runs on to the pitch, and that may happen here, but there is not enough time for it to be put in place during this tournament.

Nottinghamshire, which stages the dress rehearsal for next Saturday's final on Tuesday night have been in touch with the Home Office - the department which deals with law and order in Britain - for advice and doubled the number of stewards so that 300 will be on duty.

They have also brought in temporary plastic fences as suggested by the Rugby Union authorities at Twickenham, the headquarters of the game during talks this winter. They will have Urdu and Punjabi speakers on the loudspeaker system and stewards will urge spectators to stay in their seats.

Both Alec Stewart, the England captain, and Steve Waugh, of Australia, have expressed their concerns about player safety and Waugh has already said that it was only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt. ``Players do not feel safe,'' said Waugh. ``It is not right that they are not comfortable.''

The invasion at Headingley on Sunday night, which forced Stewart to conced the game has been described as inevitable by commentators who have criticised the way the police and the stewards dealt with the problem, but Yorkshire's chief executive Chris Hassall said that nothing could have stopped the fans. ``I don't think any other measures would have made any difference,'' Hassall said. ``If people want to run on to the pitch it would take a huge army to stop them.''

Behind all the feverish activity lay an abiding worry for cricket in this country. The injuries to the steward reminded the authorities that if they dealt with invading spectators too heavily there was the danger of one being injured and going to the courts for damages.

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