ICC's decision to remove Pakistan as World Cup location was not unanimous: PCB

Lahore, May 19 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision of removing Pakistan as a location for the World Cup 2011 matches was not unanimous as reported in the media.

Last month the ICC stripped Pakistan of its rights to co-host the 2011 World Cup following the terrorist attack in Lahore when gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team bus. The ICC said the members unanimously approved the decision.

"An impression is being created in media that the decision of the last ICC executive board's meeting held in Dubai stripping Pakistan of its right to stage World Cup matches was made unanimously.

"It has also been reported that the PCB chairman abstained from voting on this issue and therefore allowed the decision to be unanimous. It is also being alleged that proper preparations were not made and necessary homework was not done in representing Pakistan's point of view to the ICC on this issue," said a spokesman for the PCB.

He claimed the decision of the ICC executive board was not unanimous because the PCB chief did cast his vote against the proposal, the Daily Times reported.

"Moreover, it may be emphasised that issue of taking the World Cup matches away from Pakistan was never on the agenda of the meeting.

"The item of agenda under which this decision was made out of blue related to assessment of general security situation for international cricket. This is why it is the PCB's stand that the aid decision was taken unlawfully, without proper notice and without affording PCB a fair representation," the spokesman added. (ANI)