Dubai: In the wake of the recent deadly terror attack that took place at the Manchester Arena in England, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to safety and security of all the teams participating at the Champions Trophy, beginning June 1 at the Oval.
"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrific attack in Manchester. The ICC and ECB place safety and security at the ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Women`s World Cup this summer as the highest priority," the ICC statement said.
"We operate on advice from our Tournament Security Directorate - in conjunction with the ECB and relevant authorities - to ensure that we have a robust safety and security plan for both tournaments. We will continue to work with authorities over the coming hours and days and review our security in line with the threat levels," the statement added.
Insisting that the security situation has been very much front and centre of their preparations, the ICC said that it is constantly reviewing their procedures to ensure they are as effective as possible to keep everyone safe.
Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wrote to the ICC expressing concern over the safety of its national players heading into the Champions Trophy.The blast took place on Monday night during a pop concert performed by American singer Ariana Grande, in which 22 people were killed and about 50 injured.
The Manchester Police confirmed that a lone male suicide bomber was behind the explosion.The attack is being touted as the worst in Britain in a decade.
Last England saw such a deadly terror attack was in 2005 when on July 7, which killed 52 people after terrorists carried out a series of coordinated suicide bomb attacks in central London targeting civilians using the public transport system during the rush hour.Also, in 2009, the Manchester police had thwarted a major terror bid to attack Manchester `s Arndale shopping centre on the busy Easter bank holiday weekend.
With up to 90,000 shoppers in or near the shopping centre at the time, police believe an attack would have killed hundreds and maimed thousands.
A student identified as Abid Naseer, 29, who plotted the mass suicide bomb attack was jailed for 40 years in 2015.
