Calls mount for Bourda disgrace probe - President saddened at outcome
AS CRICKET fans here and overseas condemned the mob disgrace that marred Wednesday's international match at the Bourda ground in Georgetown, President Janet Jagan yesterday urged the authorities to mount a full probe. Backing calls for an investigation, the President, who was at the match with several senior Government Ministers, also regretted the fiasco that ended in the thrilling game being officially declared a tie. Cricket officials said an internal investigation was under way. (See story on back page.) In a statement, President Jagan said: "On behalf of our nation, I wish to convey sincere regrets to the Australian and West Indies teams, visitors and cricket lovers, for (the) disruption of the one-day international game at Bourda in our capital. "The behaviour, which marred what could have been a wonderful page in cricket history and a victory for our regional team, did not reflect the true Guyanese spirit of friendship and hospitality, and I hope this would not jeopardise future tours to Guyana. "My Prime Minister and I, as well as other colleagues of the Government were at Bourda for the game. I am saddened by the outcome, and I am confident that the authorities will fully investigate what went wrong and take remedial action." Police have launched an inquiry into the crowd invasion which ended the fifth Cable and Wireless-sponsored game as a tie. Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Ronald Gajraj, told the Chronicle yesterday the security handling of the matter left much to be desired and he has asked the Police for a full report. "...what I have seen there leaves much to be desired," he said. "From the point of view of the (Police) ranks, you could have seen that they were recruits and as such might not have had experience in dealing with crowds. Nevertheless there were officers on the ground and my personal view is that the situation could have been better handled", the Home Affairs Minister said. A source, however, said there were only about 60 recruits in the contingent of about 150 cops deployed at the ground for the game. Other factors, including failure to strengthen weakened fences and other crowd barriers contributed to the fiasco, the official suggested. Hundreds reportedly broke sections of fences to force their way into the ground. A source said officials had been advised to boost sections of the ground perimeter during preparations for the match for which tickets were sold out. Wednesday's fiasco followed a pitch invasion at the same ground in 1993 during another one-day international between the West Indies and Pakistan. In an almost identical repeat of what took place in 1993, unthinking spectators invaded the Bourda sward with West Indies, like they were then, in with an excellent chance of pulling off victory and a 3-2 lead in the seven-match series. Match referee Raman Suba Row, who ruled Wednesday's match a tie, was also the man in charge of the game six years ago when he also declared a tie. A prelude of what was to come occurred in the penultimate over when a section of the sell-out crowd, thinking that the match had ended after the main scoreboard had indicated that 30 overs were completed, swarmed to the middle. They uprooted stumps, jostled players and created mayhem before thousands of other fans in the ground and stunned millions following the game on radio and television in and outside Guyana. The Police deployed at the ground dispersed them, retrieved the stumps, and after Suba Row spoke with the captains, the match continued. But the Police could do little to stop the `final assault'. In the melee that followed, some of the spectators, in an ugly spectacle, even tried to snatch Australian skipper Steve Waugh's bat. (See sports pages.) 
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