Following an ISIS threat received at the start of the ICC T20 World Cup, security measures for the much-anticipated encounter between India and Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York has been tightened.
The ISIS threat came as a concern for attending fans but the local authorities have stated that they will be taking stringent measures including collaborating with other agencies to ensure that proper security is provided to the cricketer as well as the fans.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, in recent media interactions, emphasised on the extensive arrangements, likening them to presidential-level security.
“The scale and magnitude of the security for this India-Pakistan match will be more compared to when we hosted the USA President Barack Obama some years ago,” Ryder said.
He also confirmed the involvement of officers from Nassau County Police, Suffolk County, New York State, as well as agencies including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and US Customs and Border Protection in the comprehensive security arrangements for the game.
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series in the past decade due to political tensions and as a result, they only face each other in international competitions. As a result, there has been a lot of excitement among cricket fans surrounding the match and the organisers have taken a number of steps to ensure that there are no security breaches during the match.
Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council has said that security will be “robust” throughout the tournament across all venues.
An ICC Spokesperson said, “The safety and security of everyone at the event is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place. 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.”