SYDNEY, Jan 16: Despite indications by Indian and Pakistan boards that Australia will back out from bidding for 2011 Cricket World Cup in favour of a joint bid by four Asian Test playing nations, Cricket Australia (CA) claims they were still keen to host the mega event.

In announcing a joint bid by India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, BCCI and PCB board chiefs had stated that Australia would stand down in the face of a strong Asian bid.

However, Sydney Morning Herald reported on Monday that CA will take on the massive challenge of competing against four nations of the subcontinent to host 2011 World Cup.

The newspaper said CA chairman Creagh O’Connor and chief executive James Sutherland confirmed the board was still keen to form a joint bid with New Zealand to stage the World Cup, with an official expression of interest to be lodged with International Cricket Council by end of the month.

“We are confident we can host a world-class tournament. We believe we have a strong case on several fronts. Firstly, we haven’t hosted the World Cup since we did it jointly with New Zealand in 1992.

“And, we are also confident we have facilities and personnel to successfully host a global tournament of this magnitude,” newspaper quoted CA spokesman Peter Young as saying.

“At the moment, intention is to explore whether it is appropriate to bid jointly with New Zealand. If necessary, we could do it alone,” he stated.

CA’s decision to compete for World Cup hosting rights has come at a time when a slew of measures are on anvil between India and Australia to strengthen their ties.

The two countries are looking at possibilities of playing every two years in a manner similar to the Ashes. Moreover, Australia, India and Pakistan have agreed in principle to play a triangular one-day series in September, before Champions Trophy in India.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s chances of jointly hosting 2011 World Cup appear to be fading fast.

Plans by New Zealand to mount a joint bid with Australia for the event will be challenged by powerful Asian Confederation.

Such a power play could knock for six any bid from Oceania.

Indian board president Sharad Pawar said after a meeting in Pakistan that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had welcomed the proposal.

“It’s not that we can’t host the event independently but we want to share it so that cricket followers of all the four countries can enjoy the excitement,” Pawar said.

Australia was scheduled to host the 2011 event in accordance with the ICC’s rotation policy.

However, Australian board said it would not stand in the way of an Indian bid because the subcontinent could earn more money from sponsorship.

The last World Cup to be hosted in the subcontinent was in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 1996.

In a previous interview, NZC chief executive Martin Snedden acknowledged the Asian bloc had a strong say when it sought a World Cup every third year.

But he said before news of Asian bid became public that NZC and Australia intended to go ahead with a joint bid at ICC annual meeting in England in June.—Agencies