A personal insult to all cricket fans from the ICC

[Occasional Fan]

So, now the ICC is promulgating a new regulation which will forbid cricket fans at all international matches from taking their own drinks containers into the grounds. The reason? "Security." What this means, basically, is that some jumped up, over-officious bureaucrat is telling me that I am not allowed to take a bottle into the ground because I cannot be trusted not to buzz it at a player.

Well, Mr JUOB Bureaucrat, that is an insult to me. And to millions of other fans around the world. So you can shove it.

I wish the MCC every success in getting this outrageous interference overturned. With some luck, the court will award costs and damages sufficient to put the ICC out of business forever.

Cricinfo report here.

In an unrelated news item, the BBC reports here that the ICC leaves Lord's for Dubai today. And I say "Good riddance to bad rubbish".

[Paoli]

Has happened before. At the Tsunami Charity Match on January 10 this year, on a blazing hot day, nobody was allowed to bring drinks into the ground; even bottles of water were confiscated. Luckily, I had mine tucked right at the bottom of my bag. Stupid, but safe regulation.

[Occasional Fan]

Disagree with your last three words, Paoli. I am no less safe with a crate of beer than I am without it. In fact, if an ICC member is within swinging distance, I might be more dangerous without.

[Seamer]

It has nothing to do with security and more to do with profit. If they confiscate your drinks, you will be forced to pay inflated prices for them at the ground.
I have no problem them banning glass bottles as they can cause damage, but not plastic ones. Also, to take water away from someone is a health and safety issue.
As for your ICC comments OF, i am in total agreement. Wish we could go back to the good old days where Eng and Aus ran the game and everyone else towed the line.

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Seamer

Also, to take water away from someone is a health and safety issue.

That's a good point. Next thing they'll be telling us not to take our own sun-block. (More of an issue in Aus than Blighty, I'd guess!)

[Ninjaman]

Wish we could go back to the good old days where Eng and Aus ran the game and everyone else towed the line.

And thank God those dark days are over.

The MCC has banned all manner of things from English grounds and even objected to people entering grounds with flags on their clothing as an all round ban on flags.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Ninjaman

The MCC has banned all manner of things from English grounds and even objected to people entering grounds with flags on their clothing as an all round ban on flags.

True, but one almost expects daft or pointless things from the MCC, the ECB and the Australian boards - that is the precise reason I do not want a return to the horrible past (or the dark days as you say) of the TCCB and its Australian equivalent "running" cricket for their own personal gain and ruining it for everyone else.

However, one does not expect such silly rulings from the ICC - it really should know better!

[Occasional Fan]

Erm - yes! Well, I didn't actually say that, did I?

Ninjaman - I don't know what the loony authorities in England are banning, but it's not the MCC - they only look after Lord's. Safest people to blame for any and all infringements on civil liberties in my home country are the government, of which the present one is the most authoritarian I can recall in my adult life. Sometimes I find myself wondering what the heck is going on there. Bit of a broad issue to deal with here though! And it still doesn't make it right for the ICC to issue these ridiculous regulations, IMHO.

[Maranello]

OF, it is the daft MCC which bans all manners of flags etc from Lords, even on international cricket days, the ECB or the ICC has nothing to do with that silly ban. What is the point of banning national flags from shirts etc? Even normal sized flags should be allowed, as they are on all other sporting occasions! If they are so insistent on people not displaying any allegiance on their person, maybe they should also ban the silly MCC ties and hats that their half-asleep members wear!

[Ninjaman]

They are an organisation run to maximise their profits so a decision like this will occur naturally because it must.

Either they've done this to maximise profits from ground sales of drinks and/or they have signed exclusive sponsorship deals with drinks manufacturers which necessitate such actions.

It is seen as the right thing to do.

I once read a story, it might be apocryphal, of a school in the USA sponsored by one of those big cola manufacturers.

A student coming to school wearing a T shirt with the logo if its main competitor was suspended!!

I don't think the ICC should "know better". In fact, any profit making entity in the same position would take the same steps.