Security boosted for India-Pakistan powderkeg clash

ARMED officers will form part of the most complex police operation Old Trafford has seen for a cricket match when India and Pakistan clash in the World Cup. More than 500,000 applied for the 25,000 tickets on offer for the June 16 fixture, which will take place amid a major political feud between the countries. While authorities remain tight-lipped over numbers for operational reasons, Sportsmail understands that more officers will be on duty for this fixture than for any other in the city during the tournament. Greater Manchester Police are aware of the fixture’s potential to attract those who may wish to commit acts of terrorism. They will keep a close eye on well-populated areas around the stadium as supporters arrive and depart, while vehicle barriers will be put up. Officers will also monitor the political situation between India and Pakistan in the build-up to the fixture, tickets for which are being advertised at more than £3,000. Currently there is no intelligence to suggest that things may boil over in the crowd — 80 per cent of which will be made up of people from around the United Kingdom, and the two nations played a 2017 Champions Trophy final at The Oval without major incident. Police have examined the situation between the local Indian and Pakistani communities and have found no rise in hate crime, despite the rising political tensions. Police are also expecting crowds of around 3,000 to flock to Manchester’s Cathedral Gardens, where the match will be broadcast on a big screen, and security will be upped in the city centre.