PCB upset with lack of support from Asian neighbours: Sources

Karachi:

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt wanted relocation of the 2011 World Cup to Australia and New Zealand instead of losing the hosting rights but it could not be possible because of lack of support from other co-hosts, sources said on Saturday.

There was a proposal from PCB that because of the security situation in the South-Asian region, the World Cup be held in 2011 in Australia and New Zealand and in 2015 in South Asia but PCB sources said the other three co-hosts -- India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh -- were not willing to surrender their hosting rights for Pakistan's sake.

"PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt was very unhappy at the lack of support from the three other Asian countries when the discussions on the security situation in Pakistan were held in Friday's ICC meeting," one source told PTI.

"He was expecting the other three Asian countries to go along with the compromise formula of hosting the tournament in 2015 to allow Pakistan to remain as one of the four host countries," the source added.

Aamer Sohail, a former Test captain, who is now the PCB's Director of game development, said "We had discussed this proposal in the PCB before the International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai."