The International Cricket Council will soon write to the governments of hosts India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to allow a common visa for the fans.
KARACHI: In a bid to make the 2011 World Cup a hit with the spectators, the International Cricket Council will soon write to the governments of hosts India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to allow a common visa for the fans.
This was one of the decisions taken at the two-day meeting of the World Cup organising committee held in India this week which was chaired by the ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
"There is unanimity that there should be one visa for the four South Asian countries for the World Cup and the ICC will be approaching the governments to facilitate them in this," Pakistan Cricket Board Director General Saleem Altaf said.
The ICC and the West Indies also had a common visa (Caricom) for the last World Cup held in the islands in 2007.
"Having a common visa will help attract more visitors and tourists and increase revenues," Altaf said.
He said the ICC also made it clear to all four host countries that they were at least 10 months behind schedule in their preparations for the mega event.
The joint World Cup committee was formed in June 2007 in Bhurban, Pakistan but has not met regularly since then. The meeting in New Delhi was its first formal one in a year.
India is due to host 22 matches including the final of, while the semi finals would be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan is hosting 14 matches, while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will stage nine and six games respectively.
Altaf said the meeting discussed many issues related to the tournament preparations but the final budget would be approved next year at the annual meeting of the ICC.
"But we have been told to go into overdrive. And it has been decided that the central organising committee of the tournament will be based in Lahore where the secretariat would be operational soon," Altaf added.
He said Sharad Pawar was nominated as Chairman of the central organising committee while PCB chairman Ejaz Butt would be its convenor.
"The ICC has agreed that each host country would now nominate three members each on the central organizing committee," added Altaf.
He said the format and schedule for the World Cup was also discussed but didn't give out details.
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