Pakistan, Sri Lanka nets at Gymkhana Ground in spotlight
HYDERABAD: With New Zealand playing against Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium at Uppal on Monday, the practice sessions for Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been shifted to Gymkhana Ground in Hyderabad.
Both the teams will play against each other at the stadium on Tuesday. According to a release issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Sri Lanka will hold a training session at the Gymkhana Ground from 10 AM to 1 PM. Pakistan will follow and train at the venue from 2 PM to 5 PM.
Given the heightened security the Pakistan team has been provided ever since they landed in the city on August 27, training sessions at the Gymkhana Ground may complicate things. Interestingly, the tight security cordon given to the Men in Greens meant even the journalists were not allowed to attend Pakistan's net sessions earlier.
However, the Hyderabad police were confident that they would provide the requisite security needed for the practice sessions. "Yes, we are aware that the teams are practising here at the Gymkhana Ground on Monday. We will put all the security measures in place and do proper 'bandobast' for the players and other support staff so that the sessions can be conducted peacefully," J Bhaskar, Inspector at the Begumpet police station, told this daily. The Gymkhana Ground falls under the Begumpet police station.
Interestingly, a big political function was organised at the Parade Ground, which is opposite the Gymkhana Ground, on Sunday. Hundreds of party workers attended the function which continued till late in the evening. A club owner when spoken in this regard also said that providing security will not be an issue at the Gymkhana Ground. "I went to the venue on Sunday afternoon. I was told that Sri Lanka will have an optional practice session. Anyways, both Parade and Gymkhana Grounds are on the opposite side of the road. The Gymkhana Ground has a separate entry and if the entrance is taken care of then it will not be an issue," he told this daily.