ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Friday it expected the United States government to ensure full security for the national cricket team during the upcoming World Cup after a high-profile militant group threatened to target their match with India on June 9.
Media outlets around the world reported on the possibility of a “lone wolf” attack on the cricket stadium in New York after Daesh Khorasan released a message calling for independent attackers to act.
The 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the US from June 1 to June 29. The Pakistan team is expected to arrive days ahead of their first match against the USA on June 6 in Dallas, Texas.
The players have just finished their tour to England where they lost the T20 series 2-0 to the home team.
Asked about their safety, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told her weekly media briefing the Pakistani authorities were in contact with the US authorities to facilitate the cricket team’s visit.
“We expect the government of the US to fully provide security to Pakistan’s cricket team and Pakistani nationals who live in the United States,” she said.
Daesh Khorasan is a regional affiliate of the Daesh group that operates primarily in Afghanistan, though it is also suspected to have a presence in Pakistan and other parts of South Asia.
The group has been involved in various attacks in Pakistan, targeting public spaces, religious minorities and government installations, contributing to regional instability.
Their operations are part of a broader campaign to establish their influence and demonstrate their reach beyond the Afghan borders.
