Pakistan’s World Cup hosting rights hang in the balance

LONDON, Sunday, 2009 (AFP) - World cricket chiefs are working out a middle path to resolve the controversy over Pakistan’s right to remain co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup in the sub-continent.

Top officials of the International Cricket Council, including president David Morgan of England, will debate the matter at a meeting here on Monday on the sidelines of the World Twenty20.

“The matter will be resolved amicably,” an ICC spokesman told AFP. “No one in world cricket wants to be fighting court cases.”

Pakistan had served legal notices on the ICC after being stripped of hosting rights in the wake of the militant attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore on March 3 and the deteriorating security situation in the volatile nation.

Pakistan were also furious that the World Cup secretariat, which was based in Lahore, was shifted to India, co-hosts of the showpiece event alongwith their South Asian neighbours Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The legal action followed an ICC meeting with the three remaining co-hosts in April where Pakistan’s share of 14 matches were distributed among India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

As the issue snowballed with Pakistan accusing India of masterminding the move to deny it hosting rights, the ICC issued a rejoinder to Pakistan’s legal notice.

Saying Pakistan’s legal claims had “factual inaccuracies and misunderstandings”, the ICC clarified that while Pakistan were removed as a host location, the Pakistan Cricket Board remained a co-host.

The ICC clarification was viewed as an attempt to diffuse the matter and open doors to a negotiated settlement that will be finalised on Monday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended legal action pending a decision on Monday, but appears to have reconciled to the fact that it won’t host matches at home, given the reluctance of teams to play there.