ICC delegation completes Champions Trophy security assessment in Karachi

A delegation of the International Cricket Council completed a security assessment tour of Karachi on Monday ahead of this fall’s Champions Trophy tournament, officials said.

Many international teams have become wary of touring Pakistan because of Islamic militant attacks in the country, but the council said the inspection was a normal part of planning for a tournament.

“This (security tour) is part of normal ICC protocol; it happens at all our events,” ICC official Campbell Jamieson told reporters.

The four-member security assessment delegation included another ICC official, Bruce Ewan, and two members from the ICC’s British security consultant.

Karachi is one of the three venues that will host the Champions Trophy in September.

The others are Rawalpindi and Lahore.

“We will go to Lahore and Rawalpindi after this to review the security arrangements,” Jamieson said.

Karachi will host five Champions Trophy games, including a semifinal. The trophy is one of the ICC’s top one-day international contests.

Before the Champions Trophy, Pakistan will host the Asia Cup next month in which the host has promised a high level of security for all six participating teams.

South Africa last year played a test match in Karachi, but its last one-day international was shifted to Lahore after a bomb attack in October on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

She survived that attack but died in a second attack in December.

KARACHI, Pakistan AP