Who is the pitch invader at India-Aus final?

It was heartbreak for India at the Cricket World Cup as Australia won the championship for the record sixth time. But other than the two teams, who grabbed headlines at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad was a pitch invader. While India was batting, a man wearing a mask that resembled the colours of the Palestinian flag and a T-shirt with the slogans “Free Palestine” and “Stop Bombing Palestine” ran onto the pitch. In his hand was the Pride Flag. So what happened since, and who is this man? We have some answers. Who is the pitch invader at the WC finals? The support of Palestine invaded the pitch during the 14th over of the India vs Australia match while India’s Virat Kohli was batting with KL Rahul. He crossed the railing around the ground and then ran onto the field toward Kohli. He tried to hug the batsman and unfurl the Pride Flag he was carrying, causing a temporary pause to the match. In no time, security guards whisked him away. He told media persons while being taken away that his name was John. “My name is John… I am from Australia. I entered (the field) to meet Virat Kohli. I support Palestine,” he was reportedly heard saying.

#WATCH | Gujarat: The man who breached the security & entered the field during the India vs Australia Final match, says, "My name is John...I am from Australia. I entered (the field) to meet Virat Kohli. I support Palestine..." pic.twitter.com/5vrhkuJRnw

— ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2023

The invader, who was taken to Chandkheda Police Station in Ahmedabad, has been identified as Wen Johnson. He is reportedly an Australian of Chinese-Filipino heritage, who has been supporting Palestine amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. He also claims to be a fan of Kohli. A case has been registered against the accused under sections 332 and 447 of the IPC for unauthorised entry into the stadium of the Gujarat Cricket Association by the Ahmedabad Police. He has reportedly been detained. The International Cricket Council, the governing body of the sport, does not allow political protests at cricket games. However, Johnson is a foreign national and it is not yet known what action will be taken against him, according to a report by PTI. [caption id=“attachment_13406612” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The pitch invader wore a T-shirt in support of Palestine and was carrying a Pride Flag. Reuters[/caption] How the pitch invasion has raised questions about security breach The pitch invasion happened before the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was accompanied by Australia’s deputy prime minister Richard Marles. The incident is being looked at as a massive security breach at the stadium which was packed with at least 70,000 people including politicians and Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Ranveer Singh, among others. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and Reliance Foundation chairperson Nita Ambani were on the guest list. “This is a serious security breach! How is a “Save Palestine” T-shirt even allowed inside the stadium,” asked All About Cricket, a popular cricket fan page, on X, formerly Twitter. “Security needs to be more vigilant and prevent such incidents at the boundary line itself,” it added.

This is a serious security breach! How is a "Save Palestine" T-shirt even allowed inside the stadium?

The person wearing it jumped over the boundary and ran dangerously close to Virat Kohli. Security needs to be more vigilant and prevent such incidents at the boundary line… pic.twitter.com/DybnVuMWLs

— All About Cricket (@allaboutcric_) November 19, 2023

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There were extensive security arrangements in place at the Ahmedabad stadium. Nearly 6,000 police personnel along with a paramilitary force were deployed for the final match. Close to 3,000 police personnel and one Rapid Action Force company (RAF) were stationed inside the stadium. There were two teams each of National Disaster Relief Force, Chetak Commando and drone teams. [caption id=“attachment_13406642” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The pitch invader said he was a fine of Indian batsman Virat Kohli. He has been identified as Wen Johnson and is reportedly an Australian of Chinese-Filipino heritage. PTI[/caption] How common are pitch invasions in cricket? According to the Oxford Dictionary, the earliest known use of the phrase “pitch invasion” was in the 1960s. Its earliest evidence of pitch invasion is from 1968, in The Times, London. However, it is not mentioned when and how this incident happened. Pitch invasions during cricket games are not that rare. Several cricket fans have invaded pitches over the years and British YouTuber Daniel Jarvis, known as “Jarvo”, is the most notorious among them. He became infamous in August 2021 after running on the pitch during three India-England games. He reportedly entered the ground once in complete cricket gear. Jarvo was banned from Lord’s and Headingley but managed to enter the stadiums. On one occasion, he was wearing an India uniform for Test matches with “Jarvo” printed on the jersey. He bowled a ball and collided with England’s Jonny Bairstow following which he was arrested on suspicion of assault. This was the first time he reportedly faced legal consequences for his pranks. [caption id=“attachment_13406672” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Virat Kolhi reasons with notorious pitch intruder, popularly known as Javro. File photo/Reuters[/caption] Jarvo’s antics have continued. He made an appearance at the just-concluded World Cup. He ran onto the pitch during India’s opening game with Australia, sporting the “Jarvo 69” jersey. He entered the field before the match began and was escorted out of the stadium by Kohli after exchanging words with him. He was then banned from the ICC World Cup games.

Jarvo 69 Making his long-awaited Cricket World Cup debut for India! #jarvo69 #jarvo pic.twitter.com/8TXFr3Z8OH

— Jarvo69 (Daniel Jarvis) (@BMWjarvo) October 9, 2023

During the second Ashes Test match between England and Australia in June 2023, two protesters invaded the pitch at Lord’s and threw orange power paint on the ground. They were reportedly part of the “Just Stop Oil” movement. During this encounter, Bairstow picked up one of the protesters and carried him off the ground. In March last year, four college students were arrested under non-bailable sections for invading the pitch during the India-Sri Lanka Test in Bangalore. The students scaled the fence at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and ran onto the ground to take selfies with Kohli. While he obliged, the act was deemed to be dangerous to players’ health as this happened during the COVID pandemic when teams were staying in bio-bubbles. In November 2021, a pitch invader started running towards Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and tried to touch his feet. This was during the second T20I against New Zealand at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.

And a fan stormed into the field!!! The fellow sitting beside me, “ab maar khaaye chahe jo ho uska Sapna poora ho gaya! Ab yeh Ranchi mein Hatia mein Jharkhand mein poore India mein famous ho gaya!!” #IndiaVsNewZealand #INDVsNZT20 #fans #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/6NsIQDY0fO

— Sunchika Pandey/संचिका पाण्डेय (@PoliceWaliPblic) November 19, 2021

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Another notorious incident happened in 2001 in the UK, during a Pakistan and England ODI in Yorkshire when Pakistani supporters invaded the ground, injuring a steward. They wrongly assumed their team had won as the scoreboard displayed incorrect numbers. Invaders are often fans or protesters. They are not restricted to cricket alone; such incidents happen during football, tennis, and believe it or not, even snooker. While pitch intruders have caused no harm yet, security breach is a big concern. With inputs from agencies