Trinidad’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has disclosed a terror threat against the T20 World Cup in the Americas, despite the ICC‘s assurance of a ‘comprehensive and robust security plan’ to address any potential risks to the tournament, set to commence on June 1.
West Indies have received terror threat to the 2024 T20 World Cup from North Pakistan.
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ICC Assures Authorities
With 20 teams participating, including India, the event spans nine venues, six of which are located in the West Indies. The threat, as per reports, is primarily focused on the West Indies, where the entire Super 8 stage, along with the semifinals and final on June 29, will be hosted, alongside some preliminary matches.
“Unfortunately, the threat of terrorism in its many and varied expressions is an ever-present danger in the world of the 21st century,” Rowley was quoted as saying by ‘Trinidad Daily Express’ here. Rowley did not name any organisation but reports here stated that the Islamic State made the threat through its propaganda channel. The ICC responded to the development with a statement assuring preparedness. “Safety and security of everyone at the event is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place,” a spokesperson of the global body said in a statement.
“We work closely with authorities in our host countries and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event.” Rowley said ‘extra effort in national security preparations and response readiness’ will be put in to neutralize the danger. “Given the fact that bad actors can choose to misbehave in any way possible, it makes it virtually impossible to completely seal off all opportunities,” he added.
Matches in the West Indies will take place in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, games in the United States will be held in Florida, New York, and Texas.
“We want to assure all stakeholders that the safety and security of everyone at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place,” he added.
Notably, New York is slated to host the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash on June 9. Cricket West Indies has affirmed that stringent security measures are being implemented to safeguard the mega-event.
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