Indian team keep fans at bay from net session at SCG
Put it to pressure of performance or the need to go about their work quietly, the Indian team management has apparently asked the authorities at the SCG here to keep fans at bay during their intensive net session this afternoon.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: January 02, 2012 02:33 PM IST
Put it to pressure of performance or the need to go about their work quietly, the Indian team management has apparently asked the authorities at the SCG here to keep fans at bay during their intensive net session this afternoon.
A huge crowd was present at the ground during Australia's net session this morning, but as soon as the Indians arrived the SCG authorities slowly started to clear the gathering.
Though the Indian team media manager GS Walia denied any such move by the visitors and the authorities seemed reluctant to come on record on the matter, the fans vented out their frustration at not being able to watch their heroes.
There is immense pressure on Indian batsmen to sort out their problems ahead of the second Test, starting here on Tuesday and the move could be seen as a welcome step because sometimes crowd presence during the nets could act as a distraction.
Virender Sehwag, in Canberra for instance, had sharply asked the fans to keep quiet after he initially struggled to middle the ball in the nets.
Interestingly, it is not the first time such a step has been taken. In England at Leicestershire, after the Test series had ended, the Indian team had asked authorities to even keep the media away from the nets.
The mediapersons too had to face lot of problems at the SCG today. While the touring as well as local journalists were busy meeting their deadlines, they were suddenly asked to vacate the press box, rather rudely by the security guards.
Most of the print journalists were from India and they did try to argue the matter but were brusquely asked to leave the press box or their laptops would be thrown out.