India vs Pakistan: Security tightened in city following threat to ICC World T20 match in Kolkata

Kolkata: A thick security blanket has been thrown around the Eden Gardens and the hotel, where the Pakistan cricket team has been put up, in view of threat to the March 19 India-Pakistan World Twenty20 match here.

The massive security 'bandobast' has been thrown around the cricket venue and hotels where the teams, particularly the Pakistan team, are staying, Kolkata Police sources said here on Sunday.

Plain clothed police personnel and intelligence sleuths have also been deployed in greater number in various places throughout the city, the sources said.

However, the sources refused to divulge further details about the security plan.

Cleared by their government after days of uncertainty over their participation, the Pakistani contingent arrived here yesterday to take part in the World Twenty20 cricket tournament.

The Pakistan team would play its warm-up match against Sri Lanka here tomorrow.

An outfit Anti-Terrorist Front of India (ATFI), which is opposed to the Pakistan cricket team playing in India, has already threatened to dig up the pitch of Eden Gardens which is slated to host a India-Pakistan match on March 19.

The ATFI had also written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against hosting the cricket match.

"Hosting the Pakistanis is an insult to all brave soldiers who were martyred in attacks. We have written to the (West Bengal) Chief Minister urging her not to allow any kind of arrangement including security for the match," ATFI National President Viresh Shandilya had said recently.

The organisation had also threatened to dig up the pitch at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium in Dharamsala that was originally to host the March 19 India-Pakistan match.

Citing security reasons, the International Cricket Council (ICC) recently relocated the India-Pakistan group match to Kolkata.

Delighted at the match being shifted to Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently wrote to Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Sourav Ganguly assuring him that her government would provide the required security for the match on March 19.