Security has to improve to co-host World Cup: Butt

Karachi, Mar 4 (PTI) PCB chairman Ejaz Butt Wednesday
admitted that Pakistan may lose its co-hosting rights of the
2011 World Cup if the security situation does not improve in
the strife-torn nation.

Butt said the future of international cricket in Pakistan
is grim and there has to be a complete overhaul of security
for foreign nations to even consider touring the strife-torn
nation again.

"I don't know but in current situation you can't expect
teams to come to Pakistan. How can we force them to play here
if the security situation doesn't improve," Butt told
reporters Wednesday.

"If the situation improves in next six months or one year
then I am hopeful we can also have the 2011 World Cup matches
in Pakistan," he added.

Six Sri Lankan cricketers, including Mahela Jayawardene,
Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga
Paranavitana, were injured and eight people were killed after
12 masked gunmen attacked the team convoy on its way to the
Gaddafi stadium Tuesday.

Butt said even in times of crisis the Lankan team kept
its cool and he was grateful for the way they conducted
themselves during and after the terror attack yesterday.

"I can't express myself in words the way they responded
to this crisis when I met each of them personally. They had no
complaints against anyone and were just grateful to the bus
driver who drove them to safety," Butt said.

"Hats off to them the way they responded. They said they
would like to return soon. Even their chief executive and
President assured us of all possible cooperation and support
in these testing times.

"They said they would do everything to help Pakistan
cricket," Butt added.

Butt said the players had personally wanted to meet the
bus driver Mehr Khalil and left gifts and souvenirs for him.

"They said if the driver had not kept his cool all of
them would have been dead in the attack," Butt said.

Describing the terror attack as a very unfortunate and a
sad episode for Pakistan cricket, he said it had damaged the
country's image.

"As far as I know and from what I was told by the Sri
Lankans they were adequate security arrangements. But we will
wait for the full investigation report into the incident
before making any comments," Butt said.

Butt, however, dodged questions relating to security and
said the board could not interfere in the arrangements for a
visiting team and it was the government's responsibility.

"We can only coordinate through a coordination committee
with the local police. We can hire security consultants on our
won. But in the end the responsibility of the security of a
visiting team is with the local police."

"But as far as I know the security arrangements for the
Sri Lankans was the same as for other teams and we had the
same manpower in place," he said. PTI Cor