Reconsider taking away 2011 WC from Pak, Pak govt to ICC

The government of Pakistan has urged the International Cricket Council to reconsider its decision of taking way the co-hosting rights of the 2011 World Cup from the country and has instructed the PCB to pursue the matter closely.

Pakistan's Sports Minister Pir Aftan Shah Jillani met ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat in Dubai this week and asked for reconsideration of the ICC's decision.

"I conveyed to Lorgat that if the ICC reconsiders it decision to move the World Cup matches from Pakistan, our government would be willing to offer all cooperation and work with the PCB and ICC to ensure top security arrangements for the visiting teams," Jillani said.

The ICC executive board stripped Pakistan of the hosting rights of 14 World Cup matches earlier this month due to security concerns in the aftermath of Lahore terror attack on Sri Lankan players.

Lorgat attended a meeting of the Central Organising Committee of the World Cup in India yesterday during which the 14 matches moved from Pakistan were redistributed among India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Jillani, however, insisted that the matter was still not over.

"The World Cup is a big event for Pakistani people and the board has been told to keep on pursuing the matter with the ICC. Lorgat also assured me the ICC wanted to help Pakistan resume playing international cricket at home," Jillani said.

He said the World Cup was still nearly two years away and a lot can happen in the next few months. "So we have not still lost complete hope of staging these World Cup matches again," he said.