Safety lifts in front of T20 World Cup 09

All 12 teams will have police escorts throughout the 16-day competition of T20 World Cup and every fan entering grounds will be searched, it is understood.

The measures come three months after al Qaeda gunmen killed six policemen and a driver escorting the Sri Lankan team and match officials in Lahore, Pakistan.

Tournament boss Steve Elworthy told online "the sporting world changed" in the wake of the surprise attack.

Their former pace bowler, Mohammad Akram, told Sky News Online he was confident such an attack "could never happen in England".