Morgan and Butt to meet on August 27

The ICC president David Morgan will meet Pakistan board chairman Ijaz Butt in Dubai on August 27 to resolve the issue of Pakistan's hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup. The two bodies decided to reach an out-of-court settlement for Pakistan's loss of 14 World Cup matches due to security concerns after the ICC agreed to pay a US$ 10.5 million hosting rights fee and a substantial compensation.

Butt and Morgan decided to meet in Dubai following a telephonic conversation on Friday. Morgan said the conversation had been "relaxed and friendly", in keeping with their previous meeting in Dubai.

"Although nothing has yet been agreed, there remains a strong will on both sides to conclude this matter as soon as possible without recourse to legal means, and with that in mind we will meet in Dubai on 27 August with a view to reaching a resolution that is acceptable to both parties," Morgan said.

"In the light of our latest discussions I remain confident we can achieve that goal, something that would allow all of us, the ICC and its members, to focus on our key objective - the staging of a successful ICC cricket World Cup in the Asian subcontinent in 2011."

Pakistan was stripped of its rights to host the 2011 World Cup in the aftermath of the attacks on touring Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore in March. Following the decision, the World Cup secretariat was moved from Lahore to Mumbai. The ICC then ruled out the possibility of a neutral venue - the PCB was keen to organise its share of matches at a neutral venue, most likely the United Arab Emirates.