With the T20 World Cup 2024 nearing its start in the United States of America and the West Indies, alarming news has surfaced from the Caribbean islands. Reports indicate that Cricket West Indies has received a ‘terror threat’ over the upcoming showpiece event.
The security threat hovering over the global cricketing event is believed to have originated from the North of Pakistan prompting the cricketing body to take immediate action and more stringent security measures.
“We work closely with authorities in the host countries and cities and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event,” Jonny Graves, the CEO of the Cricket West Indies told media on Sunday.
The report further asserts that the security threat has arrived from Pro-Islamic State. It specifies, “Pro-Islamic State (IS) media sources have launched campaigns inciting violence against sporting events, which included video messages from the Afghanistan-Pakistan branch, ISKhorasan (IS-K) which highlighted assaults in numerous countries and urged supporters to join the battlefield in their countries.”
The CWI CEO, however, has assured all those participating in the even that security is the board’s utmost priority.
“We want to assure all stakeholders that safety and security of everyone at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place,” Graves said.
The threat has been received through Pro-Islamic State (Daesh) through the media group “Nashir Pakistan”, which is an Islamic State group-affiliated propaganda channel, according to the Daily Express.
Trinidad’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley confirmed the terror threat to Trinidad Daily Express and was quoted saying, “Unfortunately, the threat of terrorism in its many and varied expressions is an ever-present danger in the world of the 21st century”.
The Twenty20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in both West Indies and the US this year, with the first match taking place on June 1, and the final on 29.