Cuttack, Nov. 24: Last-minute preparations are on at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, the venue of the first One-Day International between India and West Indies.
With the match just five days away, the stadium has become a hub of hectic activity. The walls are being painted, ground sprinkled with water, dressing rooms are being redone and the roads around the stadium repaired.
The teams, which are scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar on Sunday morning, would have a net session at the stadium the following day, secretary of Odisha Cricket Association (OCA), Ashirbad Behera said. The teams would be lodged at a high-end hotel at Jayadev Vihar, Bhubaneswar.
“Since this would be a day and night game, we are also replacing the bulbs of the floodlights, which were installed in 2003,” said Behera.
Security being a top priority, the association officials had a meeting with the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack police commissionerate two days ago. “The police have visited the stadium and taken stock of the security measures, entry points, galleries and parking lots. We have also started barricading the passages to the galleries,” Behera said.
Twenty-four hours before the match, the entire stadium would be “sterilised” with policemen looking into every nook and cranny of its vast expanse. Bomb squads and sniffer dogs would be pressed into service.
“We will have a three-tier system in place to ensure foolproof security. We are also coordinating with the Cuttack Municipal Corporation for safe and smooth passage of the team buses,” the OCA secretary said.
Mobile phones will not work inside the stadium. “With jammers being installed in the stadium, mobile phones are not going to work. So, there’s no point in bringing them along,” he said.
Helmets, cameras, water bottles, glass and sharp objects would not be allowed. However, people can carry food and water pouches. The OCA would have water coolers placed at strategic points.
There would be five parking lots within walking distance from the stadium. People can park their two-wheelers and four-wheelers at the old and new Bali yatra grounds, while the cricket academy and Xavier’s School campus would be used for guest and VIP parking. Similarly, the Cambridge School would serve as the parking area for mediapersons.
Around 20,840 tickets would be sold to the public at counters set up in the stadium. However, the sale of 12,000 tickets set aside for the affiliated members, clubs and institutions of the OCA came to an end today.
The unsold tickets from this quota would also go to the public through counter sale.
