Fake Tendulkar arrested (5 February 1999)

5 February 1999

Fake Tendulkar arrested

Our Special Representative

NEW DELHI, Feb 4: A duplicate of Sachin Tendulkar tricked a tight security around the Ferozeshah Kotla before being arrested on the main gate.

The duplicate, whose named couldn't be known, fooled two security posts by claiming that he was Tendulkar and had gone out to meet his friends. But he was held on the main gate but in interesting circumstances.

As he was claiming to be Tendulkar, the real Tendulkar walked out of the main pavilion to get into the car on way to his hotel. Policemen went berserk and kicked the duplicate before throwing him out.

A tight security had been cordoned for the Test after Shiv Sena had dug up the pitch here last month. The information that poisonous snakes would be throne in the field, had put the police on more alert despite the fact that the services of 30 snake charmers had been acquired.

Such was the tight security that some mediamen were also denied entry into the stadium besides quite a few spectators who had valid tickets. The 22,000 capacity-stadium looked outnumbered by the policemen with most of the seats on either side of the wicket empty.

Pakistan manager Shaharyar Khan, however, said his team was not worried with so much gun-toting commandos around them. "They are not concerned. They are just concentrating on the game.

"The snakes threat was also made at Gwalior so it was nothing new for the guys," he remarked.

On reports that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was expected to watch second day's play, Shaharyar Khan expressed his surprise. He said he had read the news in a local newspaper upon which he approached the Pakistan High Commission here.

"There also is no information that the Prime Minister is coming on Friday.

"When he called me in Chennai after our victory, I had asked him to come to see the second Test on which he said he would try," Khan said.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)