Man Arrested in India for Harassing Australian Women Cricketers During World Cup

A 30-year-old man in India was arrested for allegedly stalking and inappropriately touching two Australian women cricketers during the ICC Women’s World Cup in Indore. Police acted quickly after a complaint from the team’s security and identified the suspect within six hours. Cricket Australia confirmed the report, while India’s cricket board called the incident “deeply regrettable” and pledged to strengthen player safety measures.

A man has been arrested in India for allegedly stalking and inappropriately touching two of Australia’s women cricketers during the ICC Women’s World Cup, police said on Saturday. The disturbing incident occurred while the Australian team was in the central Indian city of Indore for their group stage matches.

According to police officer Rajesh Dandotiya, the authorities acted swiftly after receiving a complaint from the Australian team’s security detail. “We received a complaint from the Australian team security and immediately acted, registered a case, and identified the accused within six hours,” Dandotiya said. The suspect, a 30-year-old man, was quickly tracked down and arrested. Police also revealed that the man has a previous criminal record.

The incident reportedly happened on Thursday morning, just one day after Australia’s six-wicket victory over England in the group stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Two Australian players had left their hotel in Indore and were walking to a nearby café when they were allegedly approached and followed by a man riding a motorcycle.

According to The Times of India, the team’s security manager received a distress message from one of the players, alerting him that “there is a guy following us trying to grab us.” Acting on this information, the police immediately began an investigation. Officer Dandotiya later explained that the accused had followed the two cricketers, who have not been identified, for several meters before approaching them and attempting to touch them inappropriately about 800 meters from their hotel.

Cricket Australia confirmed the incident in an official statement, saying, “The matter was reported by team security to police, who are handling the matter.” The organization expressed confidence in the Indian authorities’ prompt handling of the situation and emphasized the importance of player safety during international tournaments.

Police have opened a case against the 30-year-old man under charges related to inappropriate behavior and stalking. They assured that the investigation is ongoing and that further actions will be taken in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, India’s cricket board (BCCI) Secretary, Devajit Saikia, condemned the incident, describing it as “deeply regrettable and isolated.” He added that the board takes the safety of visiting players very seriously and that steps will be taken to review and enhance existing security arrangements. “We will also review our existing safety protocols and strengthen them further, if necessary, to ensure such incidents are not repeated,” Saikia said.

The incident has raised concerns about player safety during international tournaments, especially for women athletes traveling abroad. Both the Australian team and local authorities have assured that security measures will be reinforced to prevent a recurrence of such behavior in the future.