The Indian team management has decided to cancel their open net sessions for the rest of their tour of Australia, keeping fans away from seeing their favorite cricketers practice and get ready for the Test challenges.
Upto 5000 spectators descended on Adelaide Oval to see Indian team players prepare for the day-night Test at the venue that begins on December 6. India leads the five-Test series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Perth by 205 runs.
However, the Indian players were disturbed and distracted from the preparation routines after the crowd continuously made noise and chanted their names. Furthermore, the report has stated that the public, who were assembled in close proximity to the Indian cricket team, heckled the players who were preparing for the pink-ball fixture in Adelaide.
The thousands' regular loud chants and comments did not provide an ideal training environment for the visitors who were putting the finishing touches on the day-night Test.
The crowd was continually pushing players to smash a boundary or a six, and some even made derogatory remarks about players who were dismissed or beaten during net sessions.
"They were literally next to the nets. (It) Could have been handled better. The regular chants, demeaning remarks, requests for selfies and all don't help when players are trying to train hard,” a source told Times of India.
Even as the players walked towards the nets, there was a large crowd surrounding them, and the requests for photographs and autographs became increasingly louder as the practice progressed.
"The session could have been handled much better. It could have been a security situation too because the public was just very close to the players. And the comments and constant slogans of 'chauka maar', 'chakkar maar', 'out ho gaya' are not ideal for a practice session," added the source.
Cricket Australia's plans for similar open sessions in Brisbane and Sydney, which were to be promoted on social media, will now be scrapped after India's players felt uncomfortable preparing in a festival environment at the venue. Australia's training sessions will continue to be open to supporters.
