ICC backs West Indies to host World Cup

Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the ICC, today insisted that he was confident of West Indies' ability to host the 2007 World Cup. He also slammed reports that Australia has already been lined up as an alternative should the tournament not take place in the Caribbean.

"We are required by our commercial partners and for insurance purposes to have a back-up - in South Africa we had a back-up and I think it was Australia and New Zealand," said Speed, who was in Kingston in Jamaica, along with the ICC's president Ehsan Mani, for a series of meetings.

Speed added: "I think it is important to say that no decision has been made by the ICC as to which country will be the back-up venue, and any suggestion that it is Australia is quite premature and inappropriate.

"At a time in the future the ICC will meet and nominate a back-up venue. That has not occurred as to when that will be - somewhere around two years from the event but that has not been decided yet."

Mani also gave West Indies a vote of confidence, saying that he had no concerns over the hosting of the World Cup, and adding that the ICC would be there to help out any problems if needed.