Cricket Ireland has confirmed that the two-match T20I series against India, which was all set to be played in Belfast, will go ahead amidst enhanced security measures, according to a report in Cricbuzz.
The confirmation comes after a detailed security assessment in Belfast, Ireland’s second-largest city. CI consulted with the Police Service of Northern Ireland after the civil disturbances that took place there two weeks ago.
The Northern Irish capital, Belfast, witnessed two nights of unrest last week after a knife attack by a Sudanese refugee, which was filmed and circulated on social media. There were violent clashes between protesters and police the previous week in Southampton, southern England, as well, amidst anger over the handling of the murder
of a young white student, Henry Nowak, by a British Sikh man.
India are also slated to play the fifth T20I in Southampton on Saturday, July 11.
“The safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in the series remains our highest priority. We continue to work closely with the PSNI, venue management and security partners and are satisfied that the appropriate measures are in place to ensure the safe and successful staging of both fixtures,” Cricket Ireland said.
As per reports, the current assessment doesn’t indicate any specific threat to the games, participating teams, officials, spectators, or the venue. CI has also received intelligence suggesting there are no planned protests or demonstrations that could disrupt either match day.
“As a result, both Ireland vs India T20Is at Stormont on June 26 and 28 will go ahead as scheduled,” Cricket Ireland confirmed.
“We will continue to work closely with all relevant agencies and monitor developments in the lead-up to the fixtures. Supporters attending the matches are encouraged to follow official Cricket Ireland channels for any event updates and to allow additional travel time where necessary,” Cricket Ireland said.
