It appears the Asian bloc will meet in full force at a meeting of the Central Organising Committee (COC) ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 at the Hotel Grand Hyatt here on September 2.
Oblivious to Pakistan Cricket Board’s relentless posturing once the International Cricket Council (ICC) Executive Board cited security reasons to relocate 14 matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the COC ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 has been persuading PCB to be part of the organising committee. Finally Sharad Pawar, Vice-President, ICC and Chairman, ICC CWC 2011 seems to have convinced Ijaz Butt, Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to nominate three representatives to the COC.
The first positive signs have emerged with Mahbubul Anam, Convenor of the ICC CWC 2011 and Senior Vice-President Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) inviting Mr. Butt, Wasim Bari, Director, Human Resources, PCB and Subhan Ahmad, Manager International, PCB for a crucial meeting in Mumbai.
Mr. Butt is scheduled to meet Mr. David Morgan, President, ICC at Dubai on August 27 to thrash out specific matters related to the World Cup 2011, but the ICC and COC have time and again made it clear that Pakistan will be treated as a host city, will be given a compensation of $10.5 million ($750,000 for each of 14 matches it was to play host in Pakistan), but will not be allowed to stage matches in Pakistan or Dubai.
Though nothing official has been heard from the ICC or COC ICC World Cup 2011, there have been speculations that the PCB may demand more money as recompense for the potential loss of gate receipts. What the Boards of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have agreed upon is that the PCB will receive three quarter million dollars per match to develop infrastructure. Of the 14 matches allotted to Pakistan, eight would be held in India and three each in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The PCB was invited for the COC meeting in Mumbai on July 14, but Zakir Khan, Cricket Operations Manager, PCB made his presence only at the launch of the ICC World Cup 2011 Logo and Graphics. But at the same COC meeting in Mumbai that was also attended by Haroon Lorgat, CEO, ICC, it was reiterated that Pakistan would remain the host city and would be asked to nominate three representatives to the COC.
Time is running short for the COC to take decisions on the operation plan and approve the estimated budget of $115 million and move forward.
Sharad Pawar, Chairman, COC, Shashank Manohar, President, BCCI, N. Srinivasan, Secretary, BCCI, M. P. Pandove, Treasurer, BCCI, Lt. Gen. Sina lbn Jamali, Shafiqur Rehman, and Mahbulbul Anam (all Bangladesh), D. S. D’Silva, Nishantha Ranatunga, Sujeewa Rajapakse (all Sri Lanka), Haroon Lorgat, Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, Tournament Director and Campbell Jamieson, General Manager, Commercial, ICC attended the meeting in Mumbai on July 14. Hopefully, they will be joined by Messrs Butt, Bari and Ahmad on September 2.
