2011 Cricket World Cup teams under terror threat, warns security expert
December 12th, 2010 - 1:51 pm ICT by ANILondon, Dec 12 (ANI): A security expert has warned that the 14 national teams taking part in next year’s cricket World Cup in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are at risk from terrorist attacks, unless there is a sudden and major change in strategy.
According to The Telegraph, the warning was issued after it was revealed that teams would travel in ordinary buses from the airport to the hotel to the ground during the tournament.
The paper quoted the expert as saying that it is alarming to note that only a armed local police officer would be on board each bus, which would be accompanied by escort vehicles.
However, the expert said that in the light of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore in March 2009, when gunmen killed eight people and injured several of cricketers, such arrangements are “hopelessly inadequate”.
He said bomb-resistant buses should be provided, at a cost of between 290,000 pounds and 330,000 pounds each.
World Cup organisers have reportedly been given 84 million pounds by the International Cricket Council to stage the event. Providing the relative security of bomb-resistant buses would cost an estimated 4.2 million pounds, or five per cent of the total budget. (ANI)
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