Pakistan's aggressive stance, after it was decided that the country wouldn't host any of the 2011 World Cup matches, continued uninhibited as their Board President Ijaz Butt met with his counterpart and other officials in Sri Lanka. On offer were two proposals; Either the Asian Bloc agree to a swap agreement whereby the 2011 World Cup would be staged in Australia and New Zealand with the Asian subcontinent get the hosting rights for the event in 2015 or Pakistan be allowed to 'host' its share of games at Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This, after the ICC had issued a rejoinder to the legal notice sent by the PCB, stating that the parent cricketing body of the world had not 'removed Pakistan as a co-host' of the event but had only prohibited any of the matches to be played in that country. The ICC also said that there were 'factual misunderstandings and accuracies' in the legal process initiated by the PCB.

The Sri Lankan officials have now apparently told the PCB that it would get back to them after consulting their neighbours India and Bangladesh on this matter. It is widely speculated that the PCB Chairman will also travel to India to meet Sharad Pawar, someone believed to still be the man who calls the shots in the BCCI. Butt will look to wriggle out something for Pakistan and Pawar is expected to be the man who can bail them out. However, sources do indicate that the Indian officials have not taken very kindly to Pakistan's hardening and unrelenting stance on the World Cup issue. Traditionally, despite the largely stormy history that has existed between the political forces in India and Pakistan, their cricketing boards have always maintained a very cordial relationship. But the BCCI Board officials have off late not been amused by the men controlling the PCB, especially with reports pointing that they've asked the ICC to seriously consider the existing security issues prevailing in India as well. Even the CEO of the ICC, Haroon Lorgat did not mince words with the approach of the PCB by saying that he was disappointed with their attitude, hoped that it would communicate better with the ICC and then eventually withdraw its legal claims.

Tags:- 2011 World Cup   BCCI   ICC   Ijaz Butt   PCB   Sharad Pawar