The incident transpired during New Zealand’s innings. A man emerged from the crowd, breached the security and rushed towards New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra. He got close to Ravindra and tried to hug him.
Associated Press identified him as a supporter of a religious group ‘Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan’ . He also flashed the picture of the group’s leader Saad Rizvi.
According to the Pakistan Cricket Board website, the man has now been arrested.
“The PCB has taken serious note of the security breach that occurred yesterday when a spectator entered the field of play. Ensuring the safety of players and officials remains our top priority. As a responsible organisation, we have engaged with local security agencies, who have committed to increasing security personnel around the field of play at all venues and strengthening access control measures. The individual involved was arrested and presented before a court of law today (Tuesday). In addition, he has been permanently banned from entering all cricket venues in Pakistan.” PCB said.
Ravindra’s hundred helped New Zealand beat Bangladesh by 5 wickets in the match to qualify for the semi-final.
