Pakistan’s Mohammad Haris and India’s Abhishek Sharma in motion in the course of the Asia Cup Group Stage conflict on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 14, 2025. — Reuters
Sri Lanka will deploy elite armed models to guard groups at subsequent month’s T20 World Cup, a part of enhanced safety measures with a particular emphasis on matches between perennial rivals India and Pakistan, officers have advised AFP.
The island is co-hosting the biennial cricket event with India and can maintain 20 video games between February 7 and March 8.
The Indian and Pakistani groups will play one another a minimum of as soon as, of their Group A conflict within the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on February 15.
Cricket matches have lengthy been a stage for expressing political tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, which fought a four-day border battle final 12 months.
Sri Lanka has given the “highest priority” to making sure the event runs easily and is “paying special attention to the India-Pakistan matches”, sports activities minister Sunil Kumara Gamage advised AFP late on Wednesday.
Elite commando models, normally assigned to protect visiting heads of state, will likely be deployed to guard all collaborating groups, police and safety officers stated.
“From the time they step out of the airport till they return to their aircraft, they will be protected by armed guards,” an official stated, asking to not be named.
Pakistan refused to play their fixtures in India attributable to political hostilities, prompting the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their matches to impartial Sri Lanka.
Pakistan has indicated that it could but boycott the occasion in solidarity with Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka maintained a studious silence all through the India-Bangladesh row.
Cricket Secretary Bandula Dissanayake advised AFP Colombo needed to keep away from being drawn into regional disputes.
“In these disputes among India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, we are remaining neutral, all of these are friendly nations,” he stated.
However he added that Sri Lanka can be keen to host future tournaments for any of the nations if requested.
Sri Lanka has additionally used the T20 World Cup as a possibility to improve its worldwide venues.
It has commissioned new floodlights on the Singhalese Sports activities Membership, considered one of two stadiums in Colombo.
The Pallekele Stadium in Kandy was unaffected by a lethal cyclone that broken buildings within the area in November, and can host a T20 worldwide between Sri Lanka and England from Friday.
