Sri Lanka will deploy elite armed units to protect teams during next month’s T20 World Cup, stepping up security with particular focus on fixtures involving rivals India and Pakistan, officials told AFP.
The island is co-hosting the biennial tournament with India and will stage 20 matches from February 7 to March 8.
India and Pakistan are set to meet at least once, with their Group A match scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.
Cricket matches have long been a stage for expressing political tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, which fought a four-day border conflict last year.
Sri Lanka has given the "highest priority" to ensuring the tournament runs smoothly and is "paying special attention to the India-Pakistan matches", sports minister Sunil Kumara Gamage told AFP late on Wednesday.
Elite commando units, usually assigned to guard visiting heads of state, will be deployed to protect all participating teams, police and security officials said.
"From the time they step out of the airport till they return to their aircraft, they will be protected by armed guards," an official said, asking not to be named.
Pakistan refused to play their fixtures in India due to political hostilities, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their matches to neutral Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh also tried to have their matches moved out of India due to security fears, but the ICC rejected the request. Following this, the cricket-governing body drafted Scotland as Bangladesh's replacement.
Pakistan has indicated that it may yet boycott the event in solidarity with Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka maintained a studious silence throughout the India-Bangladesh row.
Cricket Secretary Bandula Dissanayake told AFP Colombo wanted to avoid being drawn into regional disputes.
"In these disputes among India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, we are remaining neutral, all of these are friendly nations," he said.
But he added that Sri Lanka would be willing to host future tournaments for any of the countries if asked.
Sri Lanka has also used the T20 World Cup as an opportunity to upgrade its international venues.
It has commissioned new floodlights at the Singhalese Sports Club, one of two stadiums in Colombo.
The Pallekele Stadium in Kandy was unaffected by a deadly cyclone that damaged buildings in the region in November, and will host a T20 international between Sri Lanka and England from Friday.
