Monday, December 23, 2024

T20 World Cup: New York cricket stadium for India v Pakistan to have police snipers

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BBC Sport also spoke to officers from the force’s narcotics division who have been seconded from their normal duties to watch the four drop-in pitches on a rolling 24-hour basis to ensure they are not tampered with.

Nassau’s police force has worked in conjunction with the New York Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Department Of Homeland Security and other agencies in the build-up to the tournament.

“The safety and security of everyone at the event is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place,” the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement to BBC Sport.

“We work closely with authorities in our host countries and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event.”

The park land surrounding the ground will be closed off to the public on the eight match days to counter the potential threat of a drone attack.

Fans attending matches will be subject to searches and will have to go through airport style security scanners before gaining entry.

Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman said last week that security would be “like the Super Bowl” but “on steroids”.

The pop-up stadium has been built at a cost of £24m ($30m) but will be dismantled afterwards and the land turned back over to Nassau County.

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