PCB comes up with alternate proposals for 2011 World Cup

Sports

Ijaz Butt

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt, who arrived in the island announced on Friday, met the minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge on Friday and the SLC hierarchy on Saturday.

Minister Lokuge said that Butt’s visit on him was mainly a courtesy call and he the minister apprised on the proceedings of the inquiries into the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan Cricketers at Lahore during the second Test which came to abrupt end. The Pakistan Cricket Chief had told the minister about the arrest of the three suspects who took part in the attack recently and said that already had identified one of the suspects as a person who had taken part in the attack.

On Saturday during his meeting with the SLC chiefs – D. Somachandra de Silva and Nishantha Ranatunga Ijaz Butt had sought Sri Lanka’s support in Pakistan’s quest to remain a part of the World cup hosting team.

The Chairman, PCB explained how important it was for PCB to be a part of the hosting team of the World Cup 2011.

He also stated that he is well aware of the security concerns regarding Pakistan and that they have already called for Security report from an expert security company which he will forward to ICC and in the aftermath he tabled two options to Sri Lanka Cricket.

The options read as:

Option A
1. There is no doubt that the Asian region is currently facing security problems. The Lahore incident, Bangladesh mutiny, Bombay incident and its aftermath and problems in Sri Lanka with LTTE are unfortunately not sending positive signals about Asia. Even the shifting of IPL from India to South Africa and Davis Cup venue shift from India, have unfortunately happened.

2. Government of India and Pakistan have refused permission for their players to visit each others countries which when considering in the context of World Cup 2011, does not augur well for the Asian region

3. The Asian Countries are well over a year behind schedule in terms of making arrangements for the ICC World Cup 2011.

4. Under current circumstances it would seem that Asian region as a whole is not prepared to host the 2011 World Cup.

5. In view of the above Asia should agree to swap the 2011 World Cup with 2015 World Cup

6. An IPSB meeting may be immediately convened to take the above decision and convey the same to ICC.

Option B
In response to the legal notice we have sent, the Asian countries should write to ICC stating the following

1. That the matter of stripping Pakistan of its hosting rights must be reconsidered and that PCB should be given an opportunity to provide alternate solutions on their internal security problems.

2. PCB should retain hosting rights of all 14 matches of the World Cup

3. The right to have Secretariat of the World Cup should remain with PCB because on this premise PCB had agreed to host lesser number of matches than it did in the 1996 World Cup.

When asked as to what SLC’s response to these suggestions were? Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told The Sunday Times that SLC had told Ijaz Butt The chairman, SLC had stated that they would stand by the decision taken at the ICC meeting in Dubai due to security situation in Pakistan. However PCB options will be discussed with the IC members and the relevant authorities on a latter date and decision will be communicated to PCB accordingly.

(SRP)

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