West Indies assured 'state-level' security in Mirpur

Bangladesh officials have assured the West Indies team 'state-level' security during their World Cup quarter-final clash against Pakistan in Mirpur on March 23. The extra precaution is an effort to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing incident on March 4, when angry locals pelted stones at the West Indies team bus following their thumping win against the home side at the same venue.

"The West Indies are our valued guests and we will ensure the highest state-level security to them," Dhaka police commissioner Benazir Ahmed told AFP. "They can be assured of fool-proof security. It's a state-level commitment. We shall make sure that there is no crowd along the key parts of the road to the stadium."

Ahmed said the same security arrangement was provided to the South African team when they took on Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla Stadium on Saturday. Bangladesh slumped to another huge defeat in that game, bringing an end to their World Cup campaign ahead of the knockouts. This time, however, there was no angry reaction from the fans.

Bangladesh's early exit could have an impact on the attendance at the Shere Bangla Stadium, which will also host the quarter-final clash between New Zealand and South Africa on March 25.