Prankster Jarvo 69’s World Cup gimmick raises security concerns

CHENNAI: In a shocking incident during the Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and Australia, a pitch invader managed to breach tight security measures, causing concern among players and spectators alike.

The intruder, identified as the infamous British YouTube prankster Daniel Jarvis, better known as ‘Jarvo69,’ surprised the crowd of approximately 30,000 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium by infiltrating the field, according to a sports website.

Jarvis was clad in an India team jersey with the name “Jarvo 69” emblazoned on it and even engaged in a brief interaction with cricket superstar Virat Kohli before being intercepted by security personnel.

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed its apprehension regarding the incident, and they have indicated that they will assess the necessity of implementing enhanced security protocols.

“The safety and security of everyone involved in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is our priority. We will work with the venue to understand what happened and consider if any additional security measures are required to prevent it from happening again. The individual concerned has been banned from attending any further games at the event and the matter is in the hands of the Indian authorities,” ICC said in a statement.

Consequently, Jarvis has been banned from attending any more matches during the event, and Indian authorities are now handling the situation.

It is worth noting that Jarvis has a history of similar pranks. In 2021, he trespassed onto the field on three occasions during England’s home Test series against India, leading to legal consequences following an incident involving England cricketer Jonny Bairstow.

This recent episode has also triggered a debate on social media, with cricket journalist Ben Gardner from Wisden raising questions about how Jarvis obtained a visa, especially when many Pakistani journalists have faced delays in obtaining theirs.