India-England Test: No cigarettes, chocolates, frisking troubles English fans in Dharamsala

Deepankar Sharda

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Dharamsala, March 7

Immersed in the beauty of the snow-clad peaks of Dhauldhars, the English fans definitely didn’t expect a tough ‘time’ in order to enter the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium. The visitors had come prepared to cheer for their team, but before entering the picturesque venue — hosting the England-India final Test match — the mandatory frisking ‘troubled’ them a lot.

Caught unawares

• From cigarettes packets to backpacks with chocolates, blunt rollers, lip balms and what not — nothing was allowed inside the stadium. And the English fans were caught unawares. What added to the worries was the language difference.
• Though the instructions on the tickets clearly mention restrictions on carrying cigarettes inside the venue, the fans missed reading it.

From cigarette packets to chocolates, energy bars, blunt rollers, lip balms and such like, nothing was allowed inside the stadium — and the English fans were caught unawares. What added to the worries was the lingual gap. “There was a poster outside the box office mentioning what’s allowed inside the stadium. It didn’t carry the picture of cigarettes, so I brought two packs. However, it was kept back by the security,” said Bailey Picker, who was not alone carrying cigarettes to the venue.

Though the instructions on the tickets clearly mention restrictions on carrying cigarettes into the venue, the fans missed reading it.

Many fans had to go back to their hotels to leave their backpacks there, as the security personnel refused to take responsibility for anything kept in their custody at the security booths. “They are not even allowing an extra pair of jackets (in bags) or iPads. I had to hand over coins, too, to them. I’m sure I won’t be getting them back after the match — and I had ample coins (not allowed in by the security staff) to buy a pint of beer!” laughed Atinkson, another fan.

“They should have made arrangements to tag the backpacks and provide some kind of locker. I have brought some gluten-free chocolates and food. However, I was denied entry. Anyway, I kept the bag with the security and requested them to take care of it. However, they didn’t give me any assurance,” said Markus Patel.

Beer love for fans

While the sun played hide and seek here, the English fans were wishing for a glass of beer to enjoy the match. “It’s such a lovely stadium. They should have made arrangements for beer. I am sure, they don’t need a freezer to serve a chilled wallop,” said Cleewill, who reached here today morning.

While the opening day received a lukewarm response from the spectators, the English fans made sure they reached the ground well in time.

“I knew about the long queues here, so I dropped in early. There’s only one gate at each entry point. I think multiple gates at each entry point could have made the situation better,” said Kala Taylor. “Also, this stadium is located at a tourist spot and rules (about not allowing drinks) inside the stadium could get modified.”

When it came to beer, the Indian fans echoed these sentiments, with some even suggesting that a quota of ‘two drinks’ per spectator be introduced at this breathtaking venue.