Security concerns put Ireland's Kenya tour in doubt

Ireland's tour to Kenya in February is in doubt because of the ongoing security situation in the country.

Both British and Irish governments have warned of an increased risk of terrorist attack within 150 miles of the Somali border. While Mombasa is well outside that zone, Cricket Ireland is liaising with the ICC and Kenya's cricket authorities and the matches may be relocated if the safety of Ireland's players cannot be guaranteed.

Ireland are due to play five matches against Kenya in Mombasa - an Intercontinental Cup match, two one-day World Cup qualifiers and three T20s. They then head to Port Elizabeth for a training camp and onwards to the UAE for the ICC World T20 qualifying tournament.

Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland's chief executive, said: "At this stage nobody is advising us against travel, but we recognise the need to monitor the situation very closely."

Under ICC regulations, Kenya are obliged to submit a security plan for every tour to the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit and Ireland are likely to insist upon tighter security protection.

"We toured Zimbabwe in 2010 after much consideration and had a security officer with us on that occasion," Deutrom said. "That is an option we might consider again."

Information is that several al-Shabab cells operating out of Somalia have crossed the border into Kenya and pose a credible threat to western interests in the capital, Nairobi.

There are fewer concerns in Mombasa, on the south-east coast, where Ireland are centred. Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs has five stages of warning and at the moment their advice about Kenya is at Level 3, which advises visitors to the country to travel with extreme caution.

More threatening to Ireland's winter schedule would be if Government advice reached Level 4, which advises against all non-essential travel, or Level 5, which advises against all travel. The Foreign Office has advised British citizens to "exercise extra vigilance and caution in public places and at public events."

"We have spoken to the DFA and will look at the situation further when YP Singh, the head of the ICC's anti-corruption unit, returns to Dubai," said Deutrom. "We are also in touch with Tom Sears, Kenya's CEO.

"There's still a bit of time before we have to make a decision, but we will wait on the advice that comes back. If it is safe we'll go ahead, if not we might have to consider the possibility of relocating the matches."

Sears advised that Kenyan cricket was taking the advice very seriously. "The security arrangements for both sides are of paramount importance," he said. "We are reviewing the security plans and are liaising with Cricket Ireland and the ICC. I remain confident the games can be staged without problems."