Sunil Gavaskar a commentator, cannot decide on venue: Odisha Cricket Association

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) today reacted sharply to Sunil Gavaskar's plea for banning international cricket at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack for unruly crowd behaviour, saying the former India captain has no authority to take a decision on the matter.

"Sunil Gavaskar is not the authority to take a decision about venue of international cricket matches. He is just a commentator," OCA Secretary Asirbad Behera said here.

Slamming the crowd behaviour and the police response to it during the second Twenty20 cricket match between India and South Africa yesterday, Gavaskar has said Barabati Stadium should be banned as an international venue for two years.

Angry spectators hurled missiles, mainly water bottles, into the ground after India were skittled out for 92 against South Africa in the match, disrupting play.

Behera was speaking to reporters after a meeting called by state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to discuss the incident at Barabati.

Meanwhile, OCA president and former Team India manager Ranjib Biswal described the unruly crowd behaviour as grossly unfortunate.

Only a few unruly spectators were responsible for the incident, and 99 per cent of people come to the stadium to see and enjoy the match, he said.

Vandalism of these people has deeply hurt the sentiments of cricket lovers of Odisha as well as OCA, Biswal said adding this was the first such incident in this stadium and appropriate action would be taken.