COLOMBO: Sri Lankan cricket committee chairman, Somachandra de Silva has made it clear that co-hosts India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh don’t want Pakistan to host any of the 2011 World Cup matches.
In an interview here on Monday, De Silva said that at the meeting of the representatives of the World Cup joint host countries, this had been made clear to the Pakistan board Chairman, Ijaz Butt. ‘We also don’t agree to Pakistan’s proposal of them hosting their share of matches at neutral venues,’ he added.
Silva said the host countries felt that only countries who were joint hosts of the World Cup should have the right to organise the matches and not anyone else.
‘We have offered Pakistan that they would be paid the full hosting rights fees even if they don’t host the matches. The countries that host their (Pakistan’s) share of matches would forego the hosting fees for these matches,’ he said.
De Silva said now the dispute over the World Cup matches would have to be resolved at the annual ICC meeting.
However, he ruled out any possibility of the host countries accepting Pakistan’s proposal to shift the World Cup to Australia and New Zealand and have the 2015 tournament in south Asia. ‘The World Cup will not be shifted out of Asia at any cost,’ he said.
De Silva, however, was hopeful that since the Asian nations had good relations the dispute would be resolved soon and a solution would be found.
‘We have also put the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore out of our minds and that is history now. Pakistan team would be welcomed when they come to Sri Lanka from June 27 for the Test series,’ he said.—Agencies
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