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Pakistan not thinking to boycott 2011 World Cup

By IANS,

Karachi : Senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are not thinking of boycotting the 2011 World Cup.

Sources in the board told IANS Thursday that the PCB top brass remains hopeful of finding an amicable solution to the crisis that emerged after the International Cricket Council (ICC) stripped Pakistan of its status as a World Cup venue in April this year.

There have been reports in a section of the Pakistani press that the government is considering instructing PCB to boycott the 2011 World Cup after ICC stripped Pakistan as a co-host.

Quoting unnamed sources, ‘The Nation’ reported that the Pakistani government could ask the PCB to boycott the 2011 World Cup in protest against the ICC’s decision to shift the World Cup matches from Pakistan.

“I think the Indian government, with the help of the three boards (BCCI, SLC and BCB), is trying to isolate the PCB and therefore this decision at political level is not ruled out,” a source privy to the government was quoted as saying by the daily.

However, sources in the PCB said that the Board management hasn’t received any such instructions from the government.

PCB top brass is hoping for a positive outcome from a meeting between its chairman Ijaz Butt and ICC president David Morgan to be held in Dubai later this month. The PCB is expecting to resolve the issue through an out of court settlement.