March 3, 2009 was an unfortunate day in the history of Pakistan sports when a group of terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team on their way to Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The attack not only stripped Pakistan of the rights of hosting 2011 Cricket World Cup, but also drew a curtain on international sporting activities in Pakistan for a very long period.

After the 2017 PSL final in Lahore and the World Eleven visit to Pakistan in May 2017 the confidence of international cricket fraternity started building which paved the way for brave Sri Lankans to play a solitary match in Pakistan in October 2017, and finally teams like West Indies, England and New Zealand took full tours of Pakistan that opened the gates of international cricket on Pakistan once again.

Despite internal political turmoil and commitments of security agencies on internal and external fronts, unprecedented security was given to tourists in Pakistan which was acknowledged internationally.

Realising the importance of security matters in the game of cricket and to deal with the menace of match fixing and financial corruption, PCB has announced the positions of Consultant Security & Anti-Corruption, Director Security & Anti-Corruption and Manager Security & Anti-Corruption. This is a step which PCB should have taken years ago, but it’s never too late to start in the right direction.

I am quite optimistic that many retired senior officers from security agencies of the country will consider themselves as automatic choices for these coveted positions in PCB.

Modern sports industry has a great impact on the global economy. Today worldwide it is one of the major economic sectors. PCB in Pakistan is the only professional sports organisation that provides such opportunities to individuals with the right set of credentials.

Safety and security in international sports organisations is not only about physical security but it is considered part of the master risk management plan for venues and events. A robust emergency management plan by any sports organisation should be a living document that needs to be updated constantly. Besides physical security of players and administrative staff it should cover venue specific details, evacuation details, fire exits, medical cover and equipment details, locations of emergency command centers, means of alternative communication systems, route and alternative route security measures, hotel security, cyber security and details of various other factors.

International security experts differentiate between security and safety. According to them security relates to the measures taken to protect from international criminal attacks or terrorism and safety are the activities that consider the overall wellbeing of the people within the public space, such as sports arena, where thought is given to such issues as public ingress and egress, the structural integrity of the construction, capacity, fire procedures and issues of health and environment.

I am aware of the fact that in our given security paradigm hands-on experience in security matters will supersede any academic qualifications.

This reminds me of Lee Davidson who is head of operations at Ageas Bowl Cricket stadium. Lee was also FIFA’s safety and security manager for the 2019 FIFA women’s world cup in France. She also supervised a team of security officers at Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

The interesting part is that Lee Davidson has no security or intelligence service background but she holds a Master’s degree in Sports Management. Lee says, “Master’s in Sports Management has given me a panoramic vision of sports functions that helps me in performing my duties more efficiently and professionally.”

The UN office of counter terrorism also considers sports events and arenas as high-risk targets. In June 2020 the UN office of Counter Terrorism, ICSS and UNAOC issued the UN Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events and Promotion of Sport & Its Values as a Tool to Prevent Extremism. This document is a collection of operation procedures, mechanisms and best practices to enhance the protection of vulnerable targets in the context of major sporting events.

Professional organisations like Connecting Research in Security to Practice (CRISP) have also issued comprehensive reports on safety and security of sports and provided deep insights on issues like hotel security, specific needs of women athletes, crises management, harassment issues in teams, intelligence operations to counter corruption in sports and tackling complex issues of suicide bombers in large stadiums, which is quite different from fighting in buildup areas.

Major sports venues around the world are widely using advanced camera systems for artificial intelligence. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are now used in tickets or phone apps to identify and track attendance in stadiums. Intrusion detection systems, security drones and advanced communication systems have minimised the physical security options to a great extent.

Thorough and meticulous planning along with training of security staff under able leadership is key to success in security and safety matters. A security consultant once said, “If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail.”

I am sure that PCB will pick the best in the business to fulfill its safety and security requirements in the given challenging security environment in the country.

The team picked for the task shall not only have good liaison with security agencies to meet the short-term goals, but the ability to develop a comprehensive security protocol that can satisfy the international security operators, and have the ability to lead in any foreseeable challenging situation.

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