Picture Credit: X

Picture Credit: X

The highly anticipated match of the T20 World Cup 2024 is just a night away. On June 9, Sunday, India will lock horns with Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Notably, it will be the first time the two cricketing giants take the field since the ODI World Cup 2023 in India.

However, the match will be of much importance for both the countries, the officials and security personnels are ensuring the safe conduct after the match received threats from pro-ISIS groups. When asked about the terror threat to the match, the Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said, “None of this is unanticipated. Every time you have an event of this magnitude, it will attract threats. We will leave no stone unturned to keep everyone safe. We have the best of intelligence.”

Even Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder at a media event assured of providing full security for the upcoming clash, adding, “The sport of cricket may be new to us, but providing security is not.” “The scale and magnitude of security for this India-Pakistan match will be more compared to when we hosted the USA President Barack Obama some years ago,” he further revealed.

“We have over 100 extra patrols, over and above the 250 patrols who are out there on a normal day. We are making sure that targets like houses of worship, small businesses in the area and malls are being covered,” Ryder said. He also added that officers from Nassau County police, Sufflolk County, New York State, FBI, Homeland Security Investigation and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection are also involved.

“We have cameras covering every inch of the stadium, and we have cameras on all pathways that lead to the stadium,” he concluded.

India and Pakistan are placed together in Group A for the T20 World Cup 2024 alongside Canada, Ireland and co-hosts USA. While India are coming after a win over Ireland in their tournament opener, Pakistan registered an upset as they were thumped by the USA in a Super Over.