Shah refutes PCB claim of no deal on venues

The joint effort of the sub-continent to host the 2011 Cricket World Cup suffered a jolt today when, in a surprise statement

The joint effort of the sub-continent to host the 2011 Cricket World Cup suffered a jolt today when, in a surprise statement, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf denied knowledge about finalisation of venues of the Cup, including the final, slated for New Delhi. The claim was immediately refuted as ignorance by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Niranjan Shah.

Ashraf’s statement now pits the two boards in a verbal tussle over the allotment of matches.

“The schedule hasn’t been finalised as yet by the joint World Cup organising committee. I don’t think that India would host the final. I don’t think so. We are having a meeting on December 11 in India to discuss who will host the final,” he said in Karachi.

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According to earlier announcements, India are to host 22 matches and the final, while Pakistan will have 16 games, Sri Lanka nine and Bangladesh six. Pakistan and Sri Lanka will host the semi-finals, while Bangladesh would organise the opening ceremony. The Indian board had, in fact, earmarked the new BCCI stadium in Delhi as the venue for the final and drawn plans for its construction.

BCCI secretary Shah rubbished these claims by Ashraf and put it down to his ignorance. “I am utterly surprised by his statements. Maybe he still doesn’t know the details of the joint bid as he has just taken over. As far as the BCCI is concerned things stand as decided. Everyone present in the meeting had agreed upon the allotment,” he told The Indian Express, adding, they are meeting next month to discuss further details. “We are going to discuss things taking on further from the allotted matches and how to go about organizing them,” he concluded.

Negotiations at the meeting would mainly be on who bags the higher share of matches. The catch: ICC grant of $ 500,000 per match, sources say the PCB may bargain for more matches from India’s share in return of hosting the final.

BCCI anounces itinerary for WI and Lanka

Nagpur: The BCCI today announced the itinerary for the home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka after a meeting of the board’s Tours and Fixtures Committee.

West Indies series:

Jan 21: 1st ODI at Nagpur

Jan 24: 2nd ODI at Cuttack (D/N)

Jan 27: 3rd ODI at Chennai (D/N)

Jan 30: 4th ODI at Vadodara

Sri Lanka series:

Feb 8: 1st ODI at Pune

Feb 11: 2nd ODI at Rajkot

Feb 14:3rd ODI at Goa

Feb 17: 4th ODI at Vishakhapatnam