DUBAI, (Reuters) – Pakistan has been stripped of hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup because of the ‘uncertain security situation’ in the country, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday.
“It is a regrettable decision (but) our number one priority is to create certainty and…deliver a safe, secure and successful event,” ICC president David Morgan told reporters after a meeting of the executive board in Dubai.
“The uncertainty created by events in Pakistan created a huge question mark over our ability to do just that.”
Seven Pakistanis were killed and six Sri Lanka players were injured during an armed attack on their team bus as they travelled to a test match in Lahore last month.
“It is extremely regrettable that the board has had to take this decision given the passion the people of Pakistan have for the game of cricket and for the ICC Cricket World Cup,” Morgan said.
Asked if Pakistan would host international tournaments in the near future, Morgan added: “It is highly unlikely that we will have the security clearance between now and the start date in 2011.”
Pakistan were due to co-host the event with India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and the ICC said they would press ahead with the matches in the three remaining countries.
Pakistan cricket officials and former captains expressed shock and criticised the ICC for acting in haste.
“It is really shocking because the World Cup is still sometime away. I guess a little patience should have been shown by the ICC members,” former test captain Javed Miandad, who is now director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told Reuters.
“This decision is not going to go down well with the Pakistani people since the World Cup is a global event and this decision is a big setback for our cricket,” added former test captain Rameez Raja.
Former skipper Inzamam-ul Haq said the PCB was partly to blame for the country being frozen out by world cricket.
“Myself and other former players had offered to the board to arrange for a World XI to tour Pakistan so that we could show the world that international cricket could be played in Pakistan.
“But no one from the board acted on this suggestion. Unless you don’t have international cricket in Pakistan how can you convince anyone it is safe in our country?”
COMPENSATION
PLANNED
The ICC were looking into possible compensation for Pakistan’s cricket board as a result of being stripped of the World Cup, Morgan said.
“You can be certain that the ICC directive team is considering the burden of costs and loss of revenue the Pakistan cricket board faces,” he said, but declined to reveal further details.
Morgan said it was not the intention of the ICC to isolate Pakistan or its team from the sport.
“We are determined that Pakistan should not be isolated, it is a very important member of the International Cricket Council, possessing several of the world’s greatest cricketers.”
“All our members are keen to fulfil their cricket tours… with Pakistan and that may mean hosting games away from home for Pakistan or hosting it in third countries,” he said.
Pakistan will be hosting Australia in a one-day series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from next week.
The ICC last year postponed the Champions Trophy, the second most important 50-overs a side event, due to security concerns in Pakistan and then shifted it to South Africa to be held later this year.