by PHILIP SPOONER

SOME OF THE MOST MODERN, hi-tech equipment and technology is being used to make sure that security will be "airtight" during next year's International Cricket Council's World Cup (CWC), to be played in the Caribbean.

Chris Dehring, chief executive and managing director of the tournament, said they have remained up-to-date on all major developments around the globe and would be ensuring that all was in place for a safe event.

"We have a comprehensive master plan for the CWC and we are always looking to improve and remain current," Dehring said from his office in Kingston, Jamaica. "The master plan will dovetail into the national security plans and the regional security set-up.

"The security plan we have gets tweaked every time events of a certain magnitude occur. In recent times we had the bomb blasts in India, and the terrorist plot in the United Kingdom, which was a major global issue."

In recent weeks the top level officials from the CWC offices in Jamaica and other international experts made trips through the region to do risk assessments for several major events. They were in Barbados during Crop-Over and visited the Party Monarch, Foreday Mornin', Pic-O-De-Crop Finals, Grand Kadooment and Bridgetown Market. The most recent visit was to the finals and semifinals of the Stanford 20/20 Tournament in Antigua.

"We have been doing comprehensive risk assessment and risk management for over a year now and we have been going around the region to see where we're at," Dehring said.

"Our security plan is global in reach and scope. We benefit from intelligence, which is in line with modern international technology and at this stage I must say we are very much comfortable with what we have in place."

The CWC will run from March 5 to April 28 in Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, Antigua, St Kitts, Grenada, Trinidad, St Vincent and Guyana.