Agreeing with the BCCI on not giving the ICC full control of organisational matters during the 2011 WC which reduces the host countries to a "postmaster" role.
KARACHI: Agreeing with the BCCI on not giving the ICC full control of organisational matters during the 2011 World Cup which reduces the host countries to a "postmaster" role, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Naseem Ashraf said on Saturday they would call for a review of the host countries agreement.
Ashraf said senior BCCI official I S Bindra told the participants of the World Cup Central Organising Committee meeting held recently in Bhurban that India's experience of hosting the 2006 Champions Trophy was not a happy one.
"The general consensus was, after hearing the Indian argument, that the ICC was treating host countries of its licensed tournaments like a 'postmaster', reduced to just selling tickets while the ICC controlled everything," said Ashraf, who is also the convener of the Committee.
"The ICC has even taken over the responsibility of preparing pitches for the World Cup and Champions Trophy matches," he said adding "We are not satisfied with the present arrangements".
Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup, now plan to bring up the issue at the ICC's Annual Executive Board meeting in London and call for a review of the host countries agreement.
Pakistan's concern with the present host agreement is understandable as it will host the 2008 Champions Trophy and also 14 matches of the next World Cup.
"It has decided that with the support of Australia who agrees with our viewpoint this point will be raised at the ICC Executive Board meeting," a PCB official said.
"We will be asking for the ICC to delegate some powers and authority to the host country as well while hosting the ICC events."
The World Cup, Champions Trophy, Youth World Cup are now all managed directly by the ICC who has sold the commercial and television rights of these tournaments until 2015 for around one billion dollars to ESPN-Star sports.
Ashraf said the PCB had already approved a sum of 100 million rupees in its fiscal year budget for upgrading three stadiums for the Champions Trophy and World Cup matches.
The official said the four host countries of the next World Cup had also agreed to push for a single league format based on the ICC world rankings of one-day teams.
"Yes we feel that an ideal format is where the top six to seven teams in the ICC rankings get to play directly in the main rounds with some qualifiers on single league basis. This would guarantee each team gets maximum number of matches and more exposure for the qualifying sides," Ashraf said.
"That would prevent a situation which we saw in the last World Cup where one bad day saw Pakistan and India knocked out of the tournament in the first round."
The 1992 World Cup was the only time the single league format was used and Pakistan won the title despite a poor start to the competition.
Ashraf said Pakistan was also not happy with the constant proposals to change the laws of the game by the ICC cricket committee.
"We don't support this change of ball after 35 overs or the free hit," he added.
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