Three security officers from the Ministers’ Security Division (MSD) will accompany the Sri Lankan team for the World Cup in England and Wales.
This follows a move from Sri Lanka Cricket to put in place additional security measures following Easter Sunday attacks in Colombo on April 22.
“SLC made a special request for additional security, and as such we managed to procure some of the best officers from the MSD,” said Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Harin Fernando.
“The ICC has already assured security and these officers will be working closely with them. We had no issues granting SLC’s request as this is no time to take unnecessary risks.”
This move is a deviation from the norm; at previous ICC tournaments, where Sri Lanka Cricket has relied solely on tournament security provided by the host country.
The attacks that left nearly 300 people dead has impacted Sri Lanka’s preparation for the tournament. A motivational camp in Maduru Oya and a training camp in Dambulla have been cancelled in the past week.
The team began training a few days ago and will leave for England on May 7, giving themselves a little over three weeks to prepare before their World Cup opener in Cardiff against New Zealand on June 1.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo