Durban, Feb 4: The South African government today stepped in to allay security fears surrounding the eighth Cricket World Cup, saying the elaborate safety measures put up by the organising committee would make the event the safest for players. "As the government of the primary host country, the South African government is satisfied with the security plans. Accordingly, it believes that the World Cup will proceed in a safe and secure environment in all the three host countries," the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said in a statement.
The World Cup, starting Saturday, will be hosted jointly by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. While South Africa is to host the bulk of 54 matches, Zimbabwe and Kenya are to host six and two matches respectively. However, Australia, England and New Zealand have expressed reservation to play their matches in those countries citing growing political unrest and terrorist threats. The GCIS said the cabinet committee dealing with security matters received a comprehensive briefing on security arrangements from the CWC organising committee and noted that, with the arrival of several teams in South Africa, some of the security arrangements were already being implemented according to plan.

Bureau Report