The ICC Women's World Cup is currently taking place in India and Sri Lanka. Everything is going smoothly with exciting moments such as New Zealand bowing out without reaching the semi-finals and the two tight wins for South Africa against India and Bangladesh.
However, a recent story has been released that has turned the event into an ugly one. This is because it is been reported that two Aussie players have been 'violated.'
Two Australian players were "touched inappropriately" by a motorcyclist in Indore, where they played South Africa in their final league game of the Women's World Cup on Saturday. The incident occurred while the players were walking to a cafe on Thursday, the morning after Australia's victory against England in Indore.
The shocking incident occurred around 11:00 on Thursday, when two Australian cricketers left the Radisson Blu Hotel, where the team had been staying since 17 October, to visit a nearby cafe.
According to the team's security manager, Danny Simmons, both players had previously visited the cafe and were familiar with the area. What began as a routine morning outing quickly turned into a moment of terror.
Simmons told police that at 11:08, he received a "Live Location" alert, the team's emergency distress signal, followed by a WhatsApp message from one of the players, "Hey SOS, I'm sending my live location... There's a guy following us, trying to grab us."
Moments later, she called and said that a man on a motorcycle wearing a white shirt and black cap (without a helmet) had been following them, tried to grab one player, then turned around and inappropriately touched the other before speeding away.
The women, terrified, immediately contacted Simmons, who then contacted Team Security Liaison Officers and organised a car to go and assist the two players.
Meanwhile, a local resident had already stepped in to help, noted the bike's registration number and informed the police.
"CA can confirm two members of the Australian Women's team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a cafe in Indore," Cricket Australia said in a statement. "The matter was reported by team security to police, who are handling the matter."
Rajesh Dandotiya, the additional district commissioner of police, Indore crime branch, said they had made an arrest. "The security in-charge manager of the Australian team registered a complaint about inappropriate behaviour against two players. We carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit, Aqeel. He belongs to Khajrana but now lives in Azad Nagar. He has an old criminal record."
"The Indore Police Commissionerate held a meeting with the stakeholders, BCCI and MPCA, after which security protocols were put in place. We are examining where the security protocol was breached. The incident happened on October 23 around 11am and within the next six hours, we carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit. The incident happened when they were headed to a cafe from hotel Radisson."
Devajit Saikia, BCCI secretary, described the incident as "very condemnable" and assured to "revisit our safety protocols if required."
The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) said in a statement that it was "deeply pained and shocked by the disturbing incident of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour with two players from the Australian Women's Cricket Team in Indore. No woman should ever have to endure such trauma, and our thoughts and support are with those impacted by this distressing incident. This unfortunate event has deeply affected everyone from MPCA who cherishes the values of respect, safety, and dignity of women. It is truly inspiring to see the players rise above this painful experience and continue to compete with courage and determination, carrying the pride of their nation on their shoulders in the match against South Africa."
"Over the years, Indore has earned a proud reputation as a safe venue for the visiting teams and dignitaries from other fields. It is deeply painful that the disorderly action of one individual has caused such harm and cast a shadow over the city's image. As the host, MPCA extends sincere apologies to the Australian Women's team for this deeply distressing and unfortunate incident while in our city known for safety, grace, and hospitality."
Police have arrested the accused, Akil Khan, after going through CCTV footage following a complaint by Australian team’s security manager Danny Simmons late on Thursday evening. The accused is a resident of Khajrana. He was arrested within six hours. Police later revealed that he has ten prior cases, including theft and robbery, registered against him.
"Protocols for the team's security were set following a meeting between all stakeholders, including the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and MPCA officials and the Indore Police Commissionerate. Despite all security-related protocols being in place, the incident happened; we'll analyse and find out the shortcomings," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Dandotiya said.
This isn't the first time Indore's policing and security system has been in the news.
On 10 September 2024, the girlfriend of an army officer was gang-raped near Jamgate in Mhow, a suburb of Indore. The case sparked national outrage and led to a major overhaul in the region's policing setup.
On September 15 2025, three residents were crushed to death and several others seriously injured when a drunk truck driver entered a no-entry zone in western Indore. In response, the Chief Minister suspended several officers, including the DCP (Traffic), for negligence.
Each of these incidents, now capped by the attack on Australian cricketers, paints a grim picture of a city that promotes itself as a model for urban safety and governance.
According to the National Annual Report and Women's Safety Index (NARI 2025), Indore ranks among the safest cities in India for women, with nearly 70% of respondents saying they feel safe, higher than the national average of 64.6%.
However, as per the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) data, Indore ranks sixth, making it Madhya Pradesh's only city on the national list. The city that has won India's 'Cleanest City' title eight times in a row and boasts of being a smart, safe urban model is suddenly under international scrutiny for failing to ensure the safety of two visiting athletes.
Australia ended the league stage on top of the World Cup points table and will play India in the second semi-final on 30 October in Navi Mumbai. South Africa will travel to Guwahati to play England in the first semi-final on 29 October.
It's extremely appalling as to what happened. I don't understand why anyone would do this. Something like this sets a bad image for both a country and a city. It can a big deal breaker for people after seeing repeated occurrences happen. As the saying goes, once is an accident; twice is a coincidence and three times is a pattern.
It's impressive that the culprit was caught quite quickly. It's always mind blowing when swift action is taken after a crime has been committed. Hopefully, the culprit has a lengthy prison sentence.