800 pressmen, 250 passes

When first ball is bowled at the Ferozshah Kotla on Sunday, in the sixth and last One-Day International between India and Pakistan, hundreds of media personnel will have to remain content watching the proceedings of the high-profile match on their television screens.

Sports journalists and camera personnel had been making several trips to the Delhi and District Cricket Association for past few days to ensure that their accreditation papers were in order.

Two days ago the authorities told them to collect their passes from the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, which has got nothing to do with either hosting the match or arrangements directly or indirectly.

On Friday, many of them were forced to climb the three-storeyed stadium complex only to be told that they could collect their passes for the match from the same place on Saturday after 1430 hours. But those who went the stadium on Saturday found that the gates of the complex were locked and the DDCA officials -- Ravi Jain, media coordinator, and his two associates -- had shifted to the DDCA ground

to avoid the newsmen.

Indeed, Entering DDCA, which has been taken over by the security agencies, proved a difficult task.

"We have no passes left," said an agitated official.

When contacted, Arun Jaitley, DDCA president, admitted that the number of applications received from the media far exceeded their expectations.

"We got 800 applications and only 250 can be accommodated in the press box. That is my difficulty," he said, expressing helplessness.

Worst hit were television channels.

"We are not giving any passes to television crew because we have a contract with Doordarshan. We are not entertaining foreign media either," said DDCA secretary Sunil Dev.

There was total chaos at the venue. According to sources, some media persons from a major television network snatched two blank press passes and ran away.
"I will stand at the gate to ensure that the man does not get in," said a DDCA official, who chased them but in vain.

"We have identified the news channel and we are not going to permit them under any circumstances," he said.