The International Cricket Council on Thursday urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to drop legal proceedings it initiated after cricket's governing body removed Pakistan as a host nation for the 2011 World Cup due to security fears. “The ICC Board has removed Pakistan as host location, not the PCB as joint host for the event,” ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement. “The issue of Pakistan's removal as a host location was on the ICC Board's agenda and in the board papers (and the) board has the power to make such decisions.” Pakistan was scheduled to host 14 World Cup matches, but those have been switched to the three other co-hosts - India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. “We are naturally disappointed the PCB has chosen to pursue its grievance with the ICC through legal channels but, having received correspondence from its lawyers, we have now responded,” said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat. “We hope the PCB will reflect on this matter, withdraw its spurious claims and, as a responsible full member, engage with us in an appropriate manner.” The PCB last week served legal notice to the ICC against the ICC's board decision and also wanted the game's governing body to refer the issue to a tribunal of the Court of Arbitration for Sports. It is unclear whether the PCB will press ahead with its legal challenge. “Our lawyers will respond accordingly as they are handling the case. We filed the legal claim as we feel the ICC board decision is unjust,” PCB chief operating officer Salim Altaf told Reuters. Doubts were raised over Pakistan as the co-host after gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in March in Lahore, killing eight Pakistanis. “Given that fact, we need to deliver a tournament that is safe, secure and, above all, successful and it was on that basis that the decision was taken that matches could not be played in Pakistan,” Lorgat said. “We hope the PCB realizes that by attempting to pursue the matter through legal channels, it will result in the diversion of funds and resources better served to ensure a safe, secure and successful tournament in 2011, something that will benefit all our members, including Pakistan.” ‘Cup matches in UAE' Pakistan has suggested moving its share of 2011 World Cup games to the United Arab Emirates, as a legal fight continues with the International Cricket Council over the stripping of Pakistan's hosting rights. Pakistan Cricket Board director general Javed Miandad said United Arab Emirates authorities would be willing to host the 14 matches Pakistan had originally been slated to host, before the ICC last month stripped Pakistan of co-hosting rights on security grounds. Pakistan has played some of its home series in the nearby Emirates due to reluctance of touring teams to visit Pakistan, and those matches had gone smoothly. The PCB is currently attempting to overturn the ICC's decision, hoping to return co-hosting right to Pakistan, but said Dubai and Abu Dhabi were fallback options. “In the first place we want the World Cup matches to be organized in Pakistan,” Miandad told The AP on Thursday. “On the other hand, our's is the only country which has two ideal neutral venues where there's no security problems. “We also have the consent of cricketing authorities in the UAE to shift our share of World Cup matches in their country and they have no problems.” Miandad, a former Pakistan captain, urged the ICC to reconsider its decision, saying the risk of political violence was not unique to Pakistan, but also applied to co-hosts India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. “If the ICC can assume that the security situation will remain ideal in the other three host countries in two years time, why not Pakistan?” Miandad said. “I don't think England, New Zealand and South Africa would play in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in a week or month's time,” he added.
