The majority of 2011 World Cup matches scheduled to be held in Pakistan will be switched to India, the tournament's organising committee has decided.
The 2011 World Cup was set to be co-hosted by Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with Pakistan to host 14 matches.
But the International Cricket Council, at its executive board meeting in Dubai earlier this month, decided to strip Pakistan of its hosting rights because of safety concerns arising from an ‘uncertain political situation’ in the country.
At a World Cup organising committee meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday, India was given 29 matches including the final and one semi-final, while Sri Lanka is set to host 12 matches including a semi-final and Bangladesh eight matches and the opening ceremony.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, who attended the meeting, said he was confident adequate security measure would be put in place in the subcontinent to ensure the event goes ahead as planned.
‘We have formed in the central organising committee a security team to be directed by BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) president Shashank Manohar,’ he said.
‘We recognise that it's important we instil confidence in the security measures we have in place.
‘We have no doubt that we will be able to put together security plans that would successfully help host the World Cup in 2011.’
The matches in India will be held across eight venues, while matches in Sri Lanka will take place at three locations and at two in Bangladesh, making it a total of 13 venues for the 49 matches.
The opening ceremony will be held on 18 February, with Dhaka set to host the first match of the tournament the following day.
The committee also decided to shift the tournament secretariat from Lahore to Mumbai.
The BCCI's chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty was appointed the event's managing director in place of the Pakistan's Salman Butt.
Lorgat also brushed aside Pakistan's threat to boycott matches held in India.
‘We will cross that bridge when we come to it,’ he said.
