Referee pulls up Akram, Miandad

Skipper Wasim Akram and coach Javed Miandad were summoned by Smith who told them that needless appealing should be reduced to avoid any tension among the crowd and between members of the two teams.

Pakistan manager Sharyar Khan confirmed the meeting with the referee and said Smith wanted to ensure the second Test in Delhi was played in a sporting manner.

Smith advised Akram and Miandad that Pakistan players should not indulge in excessive appealing. “Such needle matches always brought tension on the crowd and the players,” Khan said.

“The Match Referee only advised Akram and Javed to maintain their cool as otherwise, things would have a magnifying effect,” Khan added.The Pakistanplayers kept appealing vociferously for everything and succeeded with their tactics when Steve Dunne made a horrendous decision by adjudging Saurav Ganguly caught behind.

Late in the evening with India closing in on their target, Akram was seen arguing with umpire VK Ramaswamy, who no-balled the bowler as he over-stepped time and again striving for extra pace.

Kotla gears up for Test

NEW DELHI:

The pitch area damaged by Shiv Sena activists sports a transformed look and water-tight security has been marshalled between India and Pakistan to be held at the Ferozeshah Kotla here from February 4 to 8.Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit visited the ground today to gain first-hand knowledge of the preparations and former India captain and cricket board’s pitch committee chairman, Kapil Dev, inspected the track that has been laid out for the match.

Kapil Dev, accompanied by his former teammate Madan Lal, a selection committee member, had a close look at the pitch which was prepared afreshafter the vandalising. “My job is to see that the conditions are good enough for a Test,” he said and declined to comment further.

The Kotla ground has undergone a facelift. The perimeter fences have been raised, various gallery blocks have been segregated for better crowd control with the identity of each person entering the venue checked.

Sub-inspectors in plainclothes will also be deployed, apart from the uniformed personnel from Delhi police and RAC, among the crowd to pin down any mischief-makers.

Meanwhile, the Kotla pitch — the object of all attention in the turmoil leading to the start of the tour is expected to be a `slow turner’, according to curator Radhey Shyam and former cricketers.

“The pitch has no blade of grass and is a bit soft right now because of the digging, whatever grass was there has gone. But it will bind and harden if there is good sunshine for the next two days,’ the curator said.