IN his letter, 'World Cup controversy' (May12), Anis Siddiqui tells why Pakistan has been stripped of its privilege to co-host the 2011 World Cup, but has failed to understand the double standards of cricket's governing body.

The writer has pointed to the present realities in comparison while formulating policies and taking such decisions. He has also reminded us of the embarrassing and frustrating incident of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.

No doubt the Lahore attack cannot be treated as an ordinary happening, and was perhaps the most concrete reason for snatching the 2011 mega event from Pakistan. Interestingly, the fact that the English team returned to India to continue the test series in the wake of the carnage in Mumbai, which left the whole world stunned, has been overlooked by all while presenting Pakistan's case.

Were the attacks in Mumbai an ordinary happening? Was the Mumbai incident not a part of 'present realities' when the ICC took such a decision?

As the International Cricket Council (ICC) claims that there should be no compromise on the security of players and officials, then there should be no word like 'comparison' in its dictionary, because any place can either be completely safe or unsafe.

Mr Siddiqui has also blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for sending a legal notice to the ICC, claiming that the protests and legal notices are likely to create bad blood in the fellow cricket-playing countries.

I feel pity for the PCB that before this legal notice people were criticising its hierarchy for being lazy and for not taking up Pakistan's case at the world forum, and now when the PCB officials have woken up and have taken a bold step, they still are casting blame on them.

The idea of swapping the World Cup, which was first proposed by Imran Khan in his interview during a one-day encounter between Pakistan and Australia in Dubai, carries weight.

But the question is, in the present era of economic recession, why would the countries like India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh be ready to wait for another four years for hosting the World Cup?

It can only be possible when the ICC is being pressured and the PCB has done exactly the same thing by taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Now in the meantime the PCB should focus on convincing the Aussie and Kiwi cricket boards to take its side in the matter of swapping the World Cup 2011 with that of 2015, scheduled to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

In order to keep cordial relations with the Asian cricket boards, the PCB can offer playing a Twenty20 Asia Cup so as to compensate for the delay of four years.

Instead of casting blame, we should all back the PCB this time and should be optimistic about the outcome.

MIRZA IBRAHIM BAIG

Karachi