November 12, 2006	Sunday	Shawwal 19, 1427

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KARACHI, Nov 11: Pakistan is keen to host more than their share of 16 matches in World Cup 2011 which will be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

“Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have decided to press for the right to host more matches of the quadrennial event,” a PCB source said on Saturday.

The South Asian cricket lobby won the hosting rights of World Cup 2011 earlier this April and under an initial agreement, Pakistan is to host 16 games including one semifinal.

India would be hosting 22 matches and the final, Sri Lanka nine and a semifinal and Bangladesh six games including the opening ceremony.

But the source said Pakistan is now considering to host more than the 16 games allotted to them after India became the venue for the final.

“When Shaharyar Khan was chairman of the Pakistan Board he had said that Pakistan would host 15 games and the final of the 2011 World Cup. But later India lobbied and pushed to have the final in Delhi instead, besides the 22 group matches,” the source said.

“Since India have moved away from the earlier agreement, Pakistan now also want a larger share of the group matches and a meeting of the four boards is scheduled sometime in December to sort out this issue”, he added.

He said Pakistan's insistence on hosting more matches follows the International Cricket Council's decision to pay the home board $500,000 for each match it hosts in the tournament.

“If Pakistan organises 16 games it will earn $8 million but now it wants more games and more money as India is getting the showpiece final,” the source added.—Agencies