Terrorist threat to T20 World Cup: Cricket West Indies says ‘safety and security is priority number one’

“We work closely with authorities in the host countries and cities, and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event,” Jonny Graves, the CEO of the CWI told Cricbuzz.

A Cricbuzz report from Sunday said that the co-host of the T20 World Cup received a terror threat from North Pakistan.

“Pro-Islamic State (IS) media sources have launched campaigns inciting violence against sporting events, which included video messages from the Afghanistan-Pakistan branch, ISKhorasan (IS-K) which highlighted assaults in numerous countries and urged supporters to join the battlefield in their countries,” read the terror threat, as reported by Cricbuzz.

The International Cricket Council on Monday released a statement, assuring the safety of the venue and the tournamane.

“We work closely with authorities in the host countries and cities, and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event,” ICC‘s official statement said. West Indies and USA are the co-hosts of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held from June 2 to 29.”We want to assure all stakeholders that 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,” CWI boss Graves added.

According to the Cricbuzz report “the Barbados regional security officials are monitoring potential threats to the ICC event” and “intelligence of a potential threat to the World Cup has been received through Pro-Islamic State (Daesh) through the media group ‘Nashir Pakistan.'”

Coming to the mega event, India will begin their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 05, 2024, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on June 09, 2024, at the same venue. India will then play the USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively.

India are placed in Group A of the tournament alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Ireland, Canada and co-hosts USA. Their campaign begins on 5 June against Ireland at the newly-constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York before they take on Pakistan in one of the most awaited matches of the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Barbados, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago are scheduled to hold T20 World Cup matches in the Caribbean islands.