Pakistan not to host a single game

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The ICC World Cup will make a return to the sub-continent in early 2011 but Pakistan, having being proactive hosts in 1987 and 1996, will not be having a single match on their soil this time round.

The fixtures of the World Cup 2011 were announced by the ICC in a ceremony in Mumbai on November 9. It’s first time in history that Pakistan has not been allotted matches when the World Cup has come to the sub-continent. The 1992 champions, Pakistan, would be playing all their league matches in Sri Lanka.

The 10 full member countries of the ICC alongwith four associate members, divided equally in two groups, will be taking part with the top four from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals.

The Group A comprises of Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya while the Group B contains India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands.

A total of 49 matches will be played in the World Cup 2011 with India hosting 29 matches, including the final, a semifinal and a quarter-final, Sri Lanka 12 matches, including a semifinal and a quarter-final, and Bangladesh eight matches, including the opening matches, and two quarter-finals.

During the 43-day event spread over three countries, a total of 13 venues will be used and the 2011 event is a week shorter than the 2007 edition.
The inaugural ceremony will be held in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, on February 17 where the opening match of the tournament will also be staged a couple of days later featuring the host nation and the 1983 champions India.

The quarter-finals will be played in Dhaka on March 23 and 25 in Colombo on March 24 and and in Ahmedabad on March 26 while the two semifinals will be played in Colombo and Mohali on March 29 and 30. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host the final on April 2.

It has been clarified that Pakistan would be facilitated to contest the final in Mumbai should they qualify. The organizers have specifically made a mention of Pakistan because Mumbai has always been a city they have had to avoid playing for a number of years now.

Sharad Pawar, the Chairman of the 2011 World Cup's organising committee, has stated that India would welcome them to play at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai should Pakistan make it to the final of the tournament.

Pawar expressed the optimism that there would be no hurdles if Pakistan made it into the final of an event like the World Cup.

"There is no exception whether it is Pakistan or any other country. I am confident the sport-loving population of this country will welcome anybody who reaches the stage,” he was quoted as saying in Mumbai.

Pakistan would be needed to play in India during the course of the 2011 World Cup only if they go all the way to the final.