AHMADABAD, India (AP) - Police enforced strict security precautions to protect the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams that arrived yesterday in the western Indian city of Ahmadabad for a limited-overs international.

The teams - traveling together from Bombay - stepped off their airplane and into two buses parked on the tarmac, and were driven out of the airport through a side gate as hundreds of fans waited to welcome them outside the arrival lounge.

Reaching the teams' hotel on the city's outskirts, the cricketers were kept far away from onlookers and autograph seekers, who were moved to the other side of the road by police.

Security agents - uniformed police and special agents - had swept the hotel ahead of the teams' arrival for today's one-dayer that replaced a proposed five-day Test match after Pakistan expressed security concerns about the locale.

Ahmadabad is the financial hub of Gujarat state, where religious riots in 2002 left at least 1,000 people dead, most of them Muslims. Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim nation and borders Gujarat state.

Pakistan did not want Ahmadabad on the tour itinerary, but agreed to play the one-day international after India moved the Test match to Calcutta.

About 1,500 police will be stationed inside and around Motera Stadium. An equal number of police will be on duty at strategic points in the city and along the routes that the teams and spectators will take to reach the ground on the city outskirts.

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said he felt no security worries.

"We've no problem with the security or the extensive security we've been provided," Inzamam told reporters Monday after his team's training session at the match venue.

"Everything is fine, hopefully it'll stay like this," he said.
India lead the six-match series 2-1, with the three remaining matches scheduled for Ahmadabad, Kanpur (April 15) and New Delhi (April 17).

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