The Cricket Association of Bengal has lessons to learn from the fiasco at Eden Gardens on the fourth and fifth day of the first Asian Cup Test championship. The captain of the Pakistani team, Wasim Akram, may have rightly or wrongly blamed the media for inciting passions over Sachin Tendulkar?s freak dismissal. But that the media chose to remain silent on the factors that have disrupted play three times at the famed venue is strange. In 1967, a whole day?s play was lost in a test with the West Indies. Spectators invaded the pitch and set fire to stands. The cause was the alleged greed of CAB officials who had sold tickets to more people than the stadium could accommodate. During the day and night 1996 world cup semi-final against the Sri Lankans, the crowd erupted again, thanks to the CAB?s gift of an underprepared pitch which was made to look worse by the inept batting of the Indian team. Excessive restrictions on spectators too resulted in frayed tempers. What is equally surprising is that during the match against Pakistan, the CAB had reportedly refused requests by the company responsible for the telecast of the game for more camera positions. Apparently, the reason was that many seats would have to be left vacant resulting in a loss. The CAB was worried about losing revenue from a couple of hundred seats in a stadium that can accommodate over 100,000 spectators. Not in camera This was a glaring omission. The blame must squarely be put at the CAB?s door. That permission for a camera in the square leg area was refused meant that the third umpire had no access to replays from an angle considered the most important for close run out and stumping decisions. It would not only have given the third umpire a better view but would have also enabled him to judge Akram?s appeal properly on the basis of electronic evidence. Unfortunately, it was missing. This is not to suggest that the spectators were not at fault. They had no access to replays, yet they resorted to violence by turning plastic water bottles into missiles. Even stones were hurled at some of the Pakistani players, despite police claims of watertight security at the gates. The theory that the crowd turned aggressive because of alleged ?obscene gestures? by some Pakistani players is unlikely to find many takers. Ask members of the Indian team who found themselves in the same position in the world cup semi-final in 1996. They can best describe what it feels like to be in the middle of a stadium with missiles flying around. Calcuttans, ceased to be sporting. The crowd simply chose to ignore Tendulkar?s acceptance of the decision. Unappealing argument While admitting Eden Gardens is one of the best stadia in the world, many past and present cricketers feel the ground needs to have a wide screen to justify CAB?s boast of being the best. It would also keep spectators informed of umpiring decisions, rather than let them jump to their own conclusions. The lathicharge this time also underlined the media?s inexplicable silence on some glaring shortcomings at the ground. The stadium is woefully wanting in safety. The stairs leading up to the stands are choked when people crowd their way out after play. During trouble and police action, a stampede can lead to disastrous consequences. The CAB needs to ensure more exit routes. But for an organization which cannot accommodate an extra camera position for alleged monetary losses, this would perhaps be too much. Last, but not the least ? and this has nothing to do with the CAB ? is the debate on the morality of Akram?s appeal for Tendulkar?s run out. While there are instances of captains recalling players and losing matches, they are far and few between. In modern day cricket, even bump catches invite appeals which are far more vociferous than those demanding leg before wicket decisions. That Akram?s appeal and the subsequent crowd unrest will be debated is understandable. But the professional manner in which cricket is now played and the intense competition in one dayers make it natural for cricketers to pull out all stops to win in test cricket too. And why just cricket? Maradona?s ?hand of god? damaged England?s chances of winning the football world cup in 1986. England?s wounds were far deeper.