LONDON // The International Cricket Council (ICC) will decide over the next fortnight whether to admit the UAE as a "fifth country" to co-host matches at the 2011 World Cup. The competition is being organised by the four subcontinent nations - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. However, there is an ongoing dispute over 14 matches which had been scheduled to take place in Pakistan.
Following the terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March, Pakistan have been removed as a host "location", while retaining their right to stage the matches. As such, the benefits of staging the disputed matches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi will be assessed at the ICC's annual meeting in London. "That will be discussed in the days ahead," said David Morgan, the ICC president. "We want to find a means, a route, a platform, to make a decision as to the location of the 14 matches which were originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan.
"It will be very good if the four host nations can come up with a recommendation. "The options are that the games be reallocated amongst the three other host nations, but we have not ruled out the prospect of some of Pakistan's games being played in what could be termed a fifth country." The Pakistan Cricket Board had originally threatened to bring legal proceedings against the ICC over their decision take the matches away from Pakistan. However, that is now on hold pending the results of the discussions which take place over the next two weeks.
"There is a real desire to find a solution to the problems the Pakistan Cricket Board have with the resolutions taken a month or so ago at the meeting in Dubai," added Morgan. "The imperative is safety and security, not US dollars." pradley@thenational.ae
