Decision on venue to shift 2011 WC matches from Pak next week

London:

The International Cricket Council will consider on June 25 the recommendations of 2011 ODI World Cup co-hosts about the possible means to resolve the issues of staging 2011 World Cup matches in Pakistan.

The four co-hosts - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - had a meeting early this week and agreed on some possible means to resolve the issue.

They will again meet on Saturday under the chairmanship of Sharad Pawar to suggest as to where the 14 matches, originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan, could be played.

The recommendation would go to the ICC's commercial board, chaired by David Morgan, for consideration during the ICC's annual conference next week.

"I am pleased we have made progress on this matter. Today's (Friday) meeting between myself, Mr Pawar and Mr Butt was never designed to be an end in itself but was about identifying the best means to come up with a recommendation on where the matches originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan can be held," Morgan said in a statement.

"We believe we have come up with that means now, through the meeting of the host countries, and if they are able to produce a recommendation when they meet on Saturday then that can be tabled for consideration by the ICC's commercial board next Thursday."

The ICC Board in April had decided that Pakistan could no longer host the matches it was originally allocated because of the country's internal security situation.