Sachin Tendulkar

Nagpur/New Delhi: Nagpur police did a complete volte-face on Monday saying there was “no specific threat” to any individual player, after claiming earlier in the day that there was a terror threat to batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

“There is no specific threat to any individual player and there is no threat input”, the additional director general and commissioner of police, Praveen Dixit, said hours after claiming there was a threat to Tendulkar from Pakistan-based terror outfit ‘Jaish-e-Mohammad’ (JeM).

Earlier in the day, Dixit had told journalists that the police had received an advisory from central agencies about a terror threat to Tendulkar.

Dixit’s claim took central security agencies in Delhi by surprise with their officials saying they had not received any fresh input about any threat to Tendulkar other than what was received in 2002.

Sources in the agencies said the Nagpur police was referring to a warning issued by the central security agencies in 2002 when intelligence inputs suggested that JeM may target Tendulkar along with other VIPs.

“The Central government has issued a high-alert for Sachin.

“They have information that the JeM has issued a threat to him.

“We have informed everyone and his security has been tightened,” Dixit told reporters earlier in the day.

Security has been beefed up and CCTV cameras installed at the old stadium where the two teams will practise over the next two days, police said.

Officials of the central security agencies said they were surprised with the Nagpur police chief making the threat claims on camera. It prompted officials from the home ministry to make frantic telephone calls, inquiring the source of the threat input.

Union home ministry sources said the alert had been sounded for all venues where India and Australia would be playing Test matches. The teams will be given adequate security cover, police said.

Security has also been beefed up at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium at Civil Lines, police said.