Security tightened at Dhaka cricket stadium

The last time a cricket match was played there - when Bangladesh were beaten by the West Indies - the visitors' bus was stoned in anger by local fans.

Dhaka // Security will be tighter on Saturday when the Cricket World Cup returns to Bangladesh's capital for the first time since the West Indies' team bus was stoned by fans.

Colonel Mesbah Uddin Serniabat, tournament security director for Bangladesh, told The Associated Press that "more protective measures" have been put in place for the match between tournament co-hosts Bangladesh and South Africa at the Shere Bangla National Stadium at Mirpur in Dhaka.

Two windows on the West Indies' bus were shattered by fans following the team's nine-wicket victory over Bangladesh on March 4. Chris Gayle, the former captain, posted a tweet about the shattered glass and asked "what next bullets!!!"

_______________________________

Click for complete coverage of the Cricket World Cup

_______________________________

Police said the fans mistakenly thought it was the Bangladesh team's bus. Serniabt said he is now "very confident" about security.

"What happened after the West Indies match was an isolated incident but we have still made alterations from what we had then," he said. "We are not taking any chances and will not allow angry or jubilant spectators near the teams.

A meeting involving the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the International Cricket Council's local organising committee and local police was held this week to review security.

"We are arranging to keep the roads that the teams will be traveling on free of any crowds," Serniabt said. "And the crowds will not be allowed to get close to the players on the streets. I think these extra measures we are taking are good ones."

The venue is to host the first of the World Cup quarter-finals on March 23.

Bangladesh has played twice since the attack, both in the southern port city of Chittagong and both for victories.