A federal law enforcement source said Tuesday that authorities are aware of vague threats from individuals allegedly linked to the Islamic State against the men's cricket T20 World Cup, set to begin this weekend in Nassau County and elsewhere, but that specifics were lacking.
Nassau County police and county officials are scheduled to hold a press conference Wednesday at Nassau Police Headquarters in Mineola to outline safety measures for the event in Nassau. Police Chief Patrick Ryder and County Mayor Bruce Blakeman will discuss preparations and “general safety,” they said.
Neither Nassau County police nor Blakeman's office would comment on the specific threats Tuesday night, but a federal law enforcement official told Newsday that the threats would likely be discussed at the briefing in Nassau.
The first cricket match in Nassau will be a warm-up match between India and Bangladesh on Saturday. Nassau County is scheduled to host eight cricket matches over 11 days from Monday as part of the World Cup tournament.
The county has built a temporary 34,000-seat cricket stadium at Eisenhower Park to host the World Cup, including a high-profile match between India and Pakistan scheduled for June 9.
Reports surfaced in international media on Tuesday that a threatening image, allegedly released by a group supporting the Islamic State terrorist organization, referenced “Nassau Stadium” and the date June 9.
According to Reuters, the West Indies Cricket Association and cricket's world governing body, the International Cricket Council, issued a joint statement after the Trinidad and Tobago Sunday Express reported separate threats against the tournament in early May.
“We are working closely with host country and host city authorities and continually monitoring and assessing the global situation to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any identified risks to our event,” the team said, according to Reuters. “The safety and security of all participants in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup remains our top priority and we want to assure all involved that a comprehensive and robust security plan is in place.”
In addition to the matches at the temporary stadium at Eisenhower Park, matches are scheduled to be played in Dallas, Florida, Guyana, Barbados, Antigua, Talisman, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia throughout June.
