Thaindian News

Karachi, Feb 23 (IANS) The fate of the 2011 cricket World Cup to be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh hinges on the smooth organisation of the Hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Games in India, a TV report said here Tuesday.
According to Geo Super, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is closely monitoring the security arrangements for the World Cup and Commonwealth Games. The World Cup begins February 28 in New Delhi while the Commonwealth Games will be held in the Indian capital this October.

Quoting sources, the report said the ICC has no plans to change hosts of 2011 World Cup at this time but any more terrorist incident in India could change the scenario.

According to the report, some ICC member countries at a recent meeting in Dubai expressed the need to closely monitor security situation in India.

There have been terrorist threats against the hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Games from extremist groups linked to Al Qaeda.

The 2011 ICC World Cup has been hit hard by the security situation in the region. Pakistan - its fourth host nation - had to surrender its right to stage World Cup matches after a terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore last March.

Meanwhile, reports coming from Australia have suggested that there are contingency plans to move next year’s World Cup from the subcontinent to Australia or New Zealand.

There are grave fears following terrorist threats from an Al Qaeda linked group aimed at foreigners attending the Indian Premier league, the hockey world cup and the Commonwealth Games.

Reports from New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan indicated Monday that there were plans to move next year’s ICC World Cup from India to Australia and/or New Zealand if the security situation declined.

“You cannot move the timing of the tournament, in March-April, so really there’s only Australia, New Zealand and South Africa who could host it,” he said.

“By tightening the security measures around the teams, we somehow have to make it safe. Otherwise the sport will struggle to survive if we cannot find a solution.”

However, ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat insisted world cricket would do everything possible to keep the game going in India and not let it be derailed by terrorism, as has happened in Pakistan.

“The World Cup is the big piece of work that we have to deliver and we intend to do so,” Lorgat said.

“The whole issue of security is dynamic, but we will assess it very carefully and implement whatever measures are necessary to ensure safety and security. I do not share the same concerns for India as Pakistan.”