PORT OF SPAIN: The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies, has received a terrorist threat, Trinidad Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has said, adding: “If we make such efforts, we will be exposed to the threat of terrorism.” Injected to neutralize danger.
The tournament, which will feature 20 teams including India, is scheduled to begin on June 1. According to media reports, the threat at the moment is specific to the West Indies, with the exception of a few qualifying matches. The entire Super 8 stage will be played, as well as the semi-finals and finals on June 29th.
“Unfortunately, the threat of terrorism in its many different manifestations is an ever-present danger in the 21st century world,” Rowley was quoted as saying by the Trinidad Daily Express here.
Although Rowley did not specifically name the organization, reports here say the Islamic State made the threat through propaganda channels.
“Against this backdrop, all countries like ours should take national security preparations and any explicit or implicit precautions when hosting large or vulnerable gatherings. “Special efforts must be made to prepare a response to take the threat seriously,” he added.
Rowley said the event is spread across nine venues, six of which are in the West Indies, and will be closely monitored throughout the event to ensure there are no security breaches.
“Given the fact that bad actors can choose to misbehave in any number of ways, it is virtually impossible to completely block all opportunities,” he said.
“However, to ameliorate these risks, we remain vigilant against a number of threats at the local and regional level, and intelligence and other security agencies, singly or jointly, are working to ameliorate these risks in each country and venue during the tournament. “We are working to protect people,” he said. Added.
World Cup matches in the West Indies will be held in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago. The U.S. leg will feature games in Florida, New York and Texas.
New York will host the mega match between India and Pakistan on June 9th.
Following the development, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said it was taking all steps to ensure safety at the mega event.
CWI CEO Jonny Graves said: “We are working closely with host country and city authorities to continuously monitor and assess the global situation to mitigate any risks identified for the event. We are ensuring that proper planning is in place,” he told Cricbuzz.
“We would like to assure all parties that the safety and security of everyone participating in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is our top priority and we have comprehensive and robust security plans in place. I think so,” he added.
When asked for a response from the ICC, its representatives said their position was similar to that of the CWI.