ICC not worried with World Cup security, even after Christchurch shootings

The recent shootings in a couple of mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, had almost seen the touring national cricket team of Bangladesh in trouble. Concerns poured in from various quarters after the Asian team returned unhurt from the centre of mayhem where they were heading for Friday prayers. Just a few months ahead of the ICC World Cup, this incident is bound to heighten the anxiety of the teams that will participate in the mega event in England and Wales.

However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has given complete assurance about the safety at the event in the wake of the horror in Christchurch that saw 50 people losing their lives. The terror attack saw New Zealand’s third Test against Bangladesh scheduled to kick off on March 16 getting cancelled.

This incident also brought back the memories of the terror attack against the Sri Lankan national team in Lahore, Pakistan, in 2009 alive. That incident had taken place just two years ahead of the next World Cup which was set to be played in the sub-continent.

“I don’t think security is anything new, obviously something happening in New Zealand probably took a lot of people by surprise and it emphasised the need not to be complacent, especially going into the World Cup,” Sportstar cited reports as quoting ICC CEO David Richardson as saying on the sidelines of the final of the fourth Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Karachi on Sunday.

Richardson gave Pakistan’s example

The business end of the PSL has been taking place in Pakistan nowadays and according to Richardson, Pakistan’s reputation as a host that had received a beating after the 2009 attacks is seeing a rebuild.

“I know the work has already been done by the security director together with all the security agencies in the UK and they are leaving no stone unturned.” He even gave the example of Pakistan in making a comeback as an international host after teams stopped visiting it in the wake of the Lahore attacks. He called it a “great step forward”.

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