Sri Lanka boosts T20 World Cup security with eye on India-Pakistan matches

COLOMBO (Agencies): Sri Lanka will deploy elite armed units to protect teams at next month’s T20 World Cup, part of enhanced security measures with a special emphasis on matches between perennial rivals India and Pakistan, officials have told media. The island is co-hosting the biennial cricket tournament with India and will hold 20 games between February 7 and March 8. The Indian and Pakistani teams will play each other at least once, in their Group A clash in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on February 15. Cricket matches have long been a stage for expressing political tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, which fought a four-day conflict last year. Sri Lanka has given the “highest priority” to ensuring the tournament runs smoothly and is “paying special attention to the India-Pakistan matches”, sports minister Sunil Kumara Gamage told AFP late on Wednesday. Elite commando units, usually assigned to guard visiting heads of state, will be deployed to protect all participating teams, police and security officials said. “From the time they step out of the airport till they return to their aircraft, they will be protected by armed guards,” an official said, asking not to be named.

India and Pakistan have previously refused to travel across the border for sporting events, opting to play on neutral ground via a hybrid model instead. Hence, for the T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has shifted their matches to Sri Lanka. Bangladesh also tried to have their matches moved out of India due to security fears, but the ICC rejected the request. An angry Bangladesh then withdrew from the tournament, and Scotland were drafted in as their replacement. Pakistan has indicated that it may yet boycott the event in solidarity with Bangladesh. Sri Lanka maintained a studious silence throughout the India-Bangladesh row. Cricket Secretary Bandula Dissanayake said Colombo wanted to avoid being drawn into regional disputes. “In these disputes among India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, we are remaining neutral, all of these are friendly nations,” he said. But he added that Sri Lanka would be willing to host future tournaments for any of the countries if asked. Sri Lanka has also used the T20 World Cup as an opportunity to upgrade its international venues. It has commissioned new floodlights at the Singhalese Sports Club, one of two stadiums in Colombo. The Pallekele Stadium in Kandy was unaffected by a deadly cyclone that damaged buildings in the region in November, and will host a T20 international between Sri Lanka and England from Friday.