Pakistan want to host 2018 ICC World Twenty20 Championship
PCB chairman confirms his Board has made a bid. Pakistan have co-hosted two World Cups in 1987 and 1996 along with India and Sri Lanka. Now PCB wants to go it alone.
Not having hosted an International Cricket Council tournament in more than 10 years now, a desperate Pakistan Cricket Board is keen to host the 2018 World Cup. A formal bid was submitted by PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf recently.
Pakistan co-hosted the 1996 World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka. Lahore hosted the final which was won by Sri Lanka. However, the first time, Pakistan held World Cup games was in 1987 when the country co-hosted the Reliance World Cup with India.
According to reports, Subhan Ahmed, the Chief Operating Officer of PCB, expressed his disappointment for not getting an opportunity to host cricket series in Pakistan since 1996. "By the time 2018 comes around, we will have gone 22 years without hosting a major tournament which isn't right", he stated.
According to Subhan, all the full members of the ICC have had an opportunity to host mega events, but Pakistan is the only country, who is deprived of hosting cricket fixtures. Top nations have refused to travel to Pakistan because of security reasons.
PCB is desperate to host ICC events. Subhan said: "We need to be seen to be doing something about it. Since the 2018 World Cup wasn't allocated to anyone, the PCB decided to bid for it", he added.
The next World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.