India captain Virat Kohli insisted on Thursday (25) he had no qualms about being in England for the upcoming Champions Trophy tournament following the deadly Manchester terror attack.
A suicide bomb that exploded shortly after the end of a concert by US pop singer Ariana Grande at the Manchester Arena in the northwest English city on Monday killed 22 people and injured dozens more.
The Champions Trophy, which is being staged in London, Birmingham and Cardiff starts next Thursday with a match between England and Bangladesh at The Oval in south London.
India are the defending champions, having won the 2013 edition that was also staged in Britain.
They begin the defence of their title with a match against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on June 4 in what is arguably the most high-profile match of the entire tournament.
Following Monday's attack, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), contacted the International Cricket Council (ICC) to raise "concerns" about team security.
But a defiant Kohli, speaking in London on Thursday, said: "For a few people it can be a nervous time, but as a squad you don't have time to focus on those factors.
"You're here for a sporting tournament, and that remains paramount."
The star batsman added: "I don't feel any nervousness; I saw life resume pretty normally, and that's always a healthy sign. That's very reassuring.
"I'm sure the whole squad feels that way and I'm not at all nervous about being in England -- and I'm excited to play the tournament.
"What happened here was really saddening and very disturbing for everyone, especially in a place like England, (which) has not had many of these incidents in the past."
Sri Lanka have first-hand experience of being caught in a terror incident, with the armed attack on their team bus in Lahore in 2009 effectively leading to the ongoing suspension of all top-flight international cricket in Pakistan, while Sri Lanka itself endured decades of civil war.
Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, said he had been re-assured by what he had been told regarding security arrangements.
"The manager has briefed us, the security personnel have briefed us -- we don't have to really worry about what's going on," Mathews said.
"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the incident in Manchester. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected. It's obviously horrifying; we had to go through 30 years of (civil) war and know how bad it is."
His comments were endorsed by New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson.
"The tragedy in Manchester was horrific and our thoughts are with those people," he said.
Earlier, BCCI acting president CK Khanna confirmed to AFP in Delhi that security official Neeraj Kumar, had left for England on Tuesday.
"We sent out a message (to ICC) raising our concerns about security of the Indian team's travel, accommodation and the playing (area)," BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary told reporters.
In London, ICC anti-corruption unit chairman Ronnie Flanagan warned fans attending Champions Trophy matches to prepare for additional security measures, while vowing the tournament would go ahead as scheduled.
"I've every confidence we cannot yield in any way to terrorists' intentions and would ask the public to be vigilant but come to our matches secure in the knowledge they will be safe, but expecting some additional inconvenience, pat-downs, searches," said Flanagan.
"We will make this a safe, secure tournament. Don't let the terrorists have their way," added Flanagan, a former senior British police officer.
"Sport can be a wonderfully positive influence in the face of adversity and terrorism."
A 19th-century painting in Wiesbaden sees a massive visitor surge.
Fans spotted a direct link to the opening shot of The Fate of Ophelia.
Museum staff were completely caught off guard by the 'Swiftie' invasion.
They are now planning special tours to capitalise on the unexpected fame.
The question on everyone's mind: did Taylor Swift visit this place herself?
It is not every day a quiet German museum gets caught in a pop culture hurricane. But that is exactly what has happened at Museum Wiesbaden, where a painting of Shakespeare’s Ophelia has become a pilgrimage site. The reason? Taylor Swift’s latest music video for The Fate of Ophelia kicks off with a scene that looks ripped straight from their gallery wall. Suddenly, they have queues of fans where usually there is just quiet contemplation.
The Ophelia painting that Swifties say inspired The Fate of Ophelia becomes an overnight sensation Instagram/taylorswift
How did this Ophelia painting become so popular?
To be honest, it was simply hanging there. Friedrich Heyser’s work from about 1900. It is lovely, sure, but it was not a headline act. Then the video drops. And you see it immediately in the pose, the white dress, and the water lilies. It is practically a direct copy or, let us say, an homage. Fans on social media connected the dots in hours. Now the museum cannot believe its luck. Visitor numbers went from a few dozen admirers to hundreds, just over one weekend, like a whole new crowd for a century-old painting.
What has the museum said about the surprise attention?
They are thrilled, but a bit stunned. A spokesperson said it was a "shock" and they are having an "absolute Ophelia run." Can you blame them? One minute you are managing a classical collection, the next you are at the centre of a global fan phenomenon. They tried to reach Swift’s team, but they had no luck there. But they have leaned into it completely. Now they are organising a special "Ophelia reception" with guided tours. Smart move, right? It is a perfect storm of high art and pop star power, and they are riding the wave.
The big question: did Taylor Swift actually visit?
This is the real mystery, is not it? How did this specific painting, in this specific German museum, end up as the template for a mega-budget video? The staff are wondering the same thing. She was in Germany for the Eras tour last July. Did she slip in, incognito? Did a location scout send a photo? The museum thinks they would have noticed if Taylor Swift was wandering their halls. Who knows? It is the sort of stuff that feeds fan speculation for years. Whatever the facts, the painting's life has been irreversibly altered.
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