BACHER_WC2003_RSA_23MAR1996

WORLD CUP: BACHER CLEARS THE AIR

Trevor Chesterfield

It needed just a couple of nifty blows from Dr Ali Bacher`s ice pick to end rumours bowling in from the sub-continent that South Africa`s bid to host the 2003 World Cup has been put on ice.

First there was PILCOM (this year`s World Cup organisers) claiming no venues for the 1999 and the 2003 events had been approved, then came the view the West Indies would have preference over South Africa`s claim. But it seems India and Pakistan officials, buoyed by what they perceive to be the success of the year`s event, with Sunday`s final beamed to an estimated audience of two billion in 68 countries, have become carried away by the World Cup`s first major global attention.

Dr Bacher, the managing director of the United Cricket Board, said the West Indies were likely to stage the event in 2007 if they won support from the rest of the ICC community. "It was minuted at the ICC meeting at Lord`s, in February,1993 that we would stage the 2003 tournament and that England, who lost out to the sub-continent to stage the 1996 event, would host the World Cup in 1999," he said. Dr Bacher confirmed he had talks with Sir Clyde Walcott, the ICC chairman, after a cryptic statement from Pakistan Cricket Board executive officer Arif Ali Abbasi that there were no guarantees England would host the 1999 event.

"I was told by Sir Clyde that those decisions during the Lord`s meeting of February 1993 were final and binding. He also assured me that we would hold the 2003 tournament and that there had been no decision to alter that commitment."