This year on Boxing day Australia cricket team will host Pakistan team
for the 2nd Test match of 3 Test series at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG),
where exactly a year ago terror warnings were dreadfully hovering during
Australia vs. West Indies Test match. That compelled the Australian cricket
authorities to take special security measures because those threats carried
weight for few ground realities. The foremost was the Paris attacks in November
2015, more specifically after the explosion outside the Stade de France where the
host France was pitting against Germany in a football friendly match. Sporting-wise it was a fearsome incident in
which game and fans had been directly targeted by militants.
One of the most special security features of Cricket Australia for Test
match against West Indies at MCG on 2015 Boxing day was Cyclone fencing,
erected 20 to 25 meters away from the ground' parameter. Victoria Police
assistant commissioner Stephen Leane said at that time that fencing would
"help deal with the ugly reality of terrorism" as at the fence bag
checks and wanding were conducted besides an express lane offered for those
without bags.
However, besides serving as a shield to any terror attack these fencing also
acted as security check point , where fans were screened before entry. These
were the biggest security up-gradation at the MCG since the 2006 Commonwealth
Games and did a great job to put a check
and control on hostile Australian fans behaviour, which is a serious issue for
Australian sports these days. Only on the first day of the 2015 Boxing day Test
match, more than 90 fans were sent off from the ground for a range of offences.
Eleven were ejected for discharging missiles while many others were intoxicated
and used offensive language.
More importantly in November this year Cricket Australia put a
three-year ban on an Australian spectator for drawing a graffiti on a fence
which labeled South African batsman Hashim Amla as "terrorist" during
the 2nd Test in Hobart. It will be very disappointing if Pakistani cricketers
also receive similar offences from Australian fans. But surprisingly this time Cricket
Australia is in no mood to install Cyclone fencing for Test against Pakistan,
starting from December 26, 2016. Authorities believed that these fencing
created a lot of "logistic challenges" for them so these fences would
serve "no value" to cater the real issues.
Despite the
prevailing threats when an Islamic State magazine has listed the MCG as a possible target for terrorism, the
Cricket Australia languid approach
towards hostile fans behaviour and perceived terror attack is senseless. A
month ago the ISIS released a video which is encouraging a terror attacks in
Australia, counting the sports venue too. The disturbing footage, which includes bloody executions,
missile attacks and the mangled bodies of dead civilians, threatening a number
of possible targets in Melbourne including the MCG. Besides, the 20-minute video
using drone footages hovering across Melbourne skyline, also showed Melbourne city centre, airport and St Paul'
Cathedral as possible targets for terror attacks.
However, the
Australian cricket and security authorities has termed the video as
"propaganda" and believe that the Australia's terror threat level is
currently "probable". Nonetheless, it is sure that adequate security
will be available at the MCG to organise the match against Pakistan but will
that be enough --with the removal of fences -- to put a check on the usual
unsporting behaviour of fans. Also, going
through the horrors of sports terrorism specially in 2016 one can only call this
Kangaroo' approach as languid.
By Muhammad Wasim
mwasim.370@gmail.com
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