MUMBAI, India (CMC):
INDERJIT BINDRA, a prominent member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has refuted allegations that the Asian territories brokered an agreement with the West Indies in order to secure the rights to host the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Reports earlier this week indicated that the Asia block India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had secured the 2011 World Cup after India had managed to seal the West Indies' crucial vote on the issue by promising to play a triangular series in North America to help raise money in the build-up to next year's World Cup.
"We playing the West Indies in North America or the Caribbean had nothing to do with the World Cup bid," Bindra, also a former BCCI president, said.
"It was part of the ongoing scheme of playing 25 matches against top teams at neutral venues over a period of five years. Playing in North America would benefit the Caribbean because there is a considerable expatriate population there (North America)."
He added: "There was no quid pro quo for their support. They voted for us because they thought it was in the best interest of world cricket, and it was morally right that the 2011 World Cup be held in the subcontinent. We had jointly fought in 1987 when we got the World Cup moved out of England."
The Hindu Times had quoted a source as saying that India and Pakistan had gone to the meeting armed with a development plan for the WICB in order to garner their vote.
"It was a case of Pakistan and India telling the West Indies 'You support us and we will help you revive cricket in the West Indies'," the source said.
