The International Cricket Council (ICC) is planning to remove international status from venues with rowdy behaviour from spectators who interrupt play. After the third successive one-dayer between India and West Indies was marred by objects thrown at players from the crowd at Rajkot, ICC has sat up and asked for a full explanation of what happened. India were awarded the match based on the Duckworth-Lewis method when play could not be resumed after the players had walked off the field. They did so after a bottle was hurled at Vasbert Drakes, the West Indian medium-pace bowler. The first two games in the series were also affected by crowd trouble, but play they were eventually completed.

At present ICC has no powers to ban any venue, but Malcolm Speed, their chief executive, said that his Safety and Security Committee would consider arming itself with rights to ban such venues and impose a heavy financial penalty. "We have asked this committee to consider appropriate penalties for venues which consistently fail to meet their obligations in meeting minimum standards of security," Speed said. "This is likely to include the ultimate sanction of withdrawing international status from a ground, combined with a heavy financial penalty."

Speed said ICC had also liaised with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ensure that security measures would be stepped up for the four remaining matches in the series. "We have asked for details of the ground stewarding and security plans for the next four matches. We will also request that BCCI officials meet with ICC match referee Mike Procter, to discuss the matter and brief them fully of plans and contingency measures."

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI president, said that the Indian board plans to install closed-circuit television cameras in the stands, and suggested that no object that could be a potential missile be allowed into stadium. "If any spectator indulges in activity that could lead to untoward incidents, he should be immediately taken into custody," Dalmiya stated. "If there is more than an isolated case in any particular stand, it should be vacated by police with the help of ground authorities."

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