KARACHI, Reuter: Pakistani Cricket Authorities have banned soft drink bottles from the Karachi Cricket Stadium for the third and final test against West Indies beginning on Thursday, officials said.

‘They said the ban was introduced to prevent bottles being used as missiles after police warned that political activists were planning to disturb the test.

Match organizers have also erected 3.6 meter high fences of iron rods in front of the enclosures as Part of the security operation.

Authorities banned firecrackers, bottles and even apples and ranges from a stadium in the border town of Sialkot for the third one day international between Pakistan and West Indies on Friday.

The ban followed trouble at the end of the second one day game at the Punjab province town of Gujranwala last week when spectators threw empty bottles on to the pitch as poor light stopped the match which West Indies won on faster run rate,

West Indies have already won the one day series 30, The test series is currently tied at 11.

Earlier this month, cricket officials had considered shifting the third test and the fifth one day International at Hyderabad on Tuesday because of Ethnic riots there.

But they later decided against changing the sites after local authorities assured them that calm had been restored in the two Sind Province cities.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 21, 1986