MOHALI: Security advice will be key when matches are allotted for the 2011 World Cup to be jointly staged in the Indian sub-continent, International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan said on Sunday, according to Reuters.
There have been concerns over the World Cup, to be jointly staged by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, due to the refusal of major teams to tour Pakistan over player safety fears.
The bilateral relations between India and Pakistan have also strained following last month's militant attacks in Mumbai. The Indian government this week refused permission for the cricket tour of Pakistan which was due to start next month.
‘Of course, there has to be some concern about the next ICC World Cup to be played in those four countries,’ Morgan told a news conference.
‘But I'm confident between the four countries we will have a very good World Cup. I'm sure that the sub-continent will stage the World Cup.’
‘Quite how, in terms of the spread of matches, remains to be seen. That will depend upon the then current security advice.’
Morgan was in Mohali to watch the second test between England and India.
Double standards?
England, who abandoned their one-day series in India and flew home after the Mumbai blasts, returned for two Test matches following security clearance from the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Even though the six-nation Asia Cup passed off without incident in Lahore and Karachi, teams continued to shun Pakistan, who did not play any Test cricket in 2008
The ICC chief was questioned about the refusal of countries to tour Pakistan but their willingness to play in India, reports AFP.
Morgan dismissed suggestions of double standards since a Test match was currently being played in Mohali, which is 250 kilometres (155 miles) from the Pakistan border.
‘Pakistan is a different country and, quite clearly, the security experts believed it was safe and secure for England players to return to India,’ he said.
‘That has not been the case in Pakistan in recent times.
‘For the Champions Trophy, we had security assessment in Pakistan carried out by the West Indies board, England, Cricket Australia and New Zealand.
‘All of those boards were advised that it would not be appropriate for their players to have gone to Pakistan.’
Morgan also ruled out imposing financial penalties on India for refusing to tour Pakistan.
‘I understand it was the Indian government's decision that the cricket team should not tour Pakistan,’ he said. ‘As per the ICC rules, this is acceptable non-compliance and there would be no sanction against the Indian board.
‘India and Pakistan are two separate countries. I am not prepared to accept they can be coupled together on safety and security.
‘The advice on security we have is that the considerations in the two countries are somewhat different.’