Plans to shift out World Cup from subcontinent – reports

World Cup 2011, Security concern in India are raising higher and higher as with several cricketers in line to pull-out from the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to terror threats. With the prevailing concerns reports are also floating for the contingency plans to shift the next year’s World Cup from the Indian subcontinent to Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan has indicated that there were plans to move the World Cup from India to Australia or New Zealand if the security situation deteriorated. “You cannot move the timing of the tournament, in March-April, so really there’s only Australia, New Zealand and South Africa who could host it,” Vaughan was quoted as saying in The Australian.

“By tightening the security measures around the teams, we somehow have to make it safe. Otherwise the sport will struggle to survive if we cannot find a solution.”

But International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat said they will do everything to keep the World Cup in India and world cricket would not let the sport be derailed by terrorism, as has happened in Pakistan. “The World Cup is the big piece of work that we have to deliver and we intend to do so,” Lorgat said.

“The whole issue of security is dynamic, but we will assess it very carefully and implement whatever measures are necessary to ensure safety and security. I do not share the same concerns for India as Pakistan.”