The fate of the first Twenty20 international of the India-West Indies series scheduled on December 6 in Mumbai at the Wankhede stadium hangs in balance. This follows a communication by the Mumbai police to the Mumbai Cricket Association expressing inability to deploy the police force needed for an international match that day. December 6 marks the first anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition after the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict and the death anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar for which thousands of followers congregate to celebrate ‘Mahaparinirvan Divas’.

“A Mumbai police representative had come to share the ground situation in our Apex Council meeting today. Senior MCA officials have sought time to meet the Commissioner of Police Sanjay Barve tomorrow where more clarity would be provided, if the match is possible on the scheduled date or not,” an MCA official said.

“We have conveyed to the MCA that on December 6 we are quite pre-occupied as far as the deployment of security bandobast is concerned.It is learnt MCA officials have also suggested to the police that they be allowed to stage the match with around 25 per cent police force with the rest to be made up of hired private security personnel. “But any such move would need the go-ahead from Mumbai police and modalities can only be worked out after meeting with senior police officials,” the MCA official said.