New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan on Sunday said the Asian Test playing nations were hopeful of bagging the rights to host the 2011 World Cup despite a delay in submitting their bid.
"It involved four governments, hence we could not do it quickly. We are hopeful that we will be able to get the dispensation from the International Cricket Council," the PCB chief said.
Khan and his counterparts from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were in the middle of a marathon late evening on Sunday discussion at Board of Control for Criket in India (BCCI) President Sharad Pawar's ministerial residence to thrash out the nitty gritties and ready the final bid document.
Khan said the bid would be submitted on Tuesday to the ICC headquartered in Dubai.
The deadline for submitting the bids ended on February 28 but the Asian bloc had requested an extension.
Australia and New Zealand, whose turn it is by rotation to host the quadrennial event, have also submitted a joint bid.
The top officials of the four Boards, including Pawar, Khan, Mohammad Asgar Ali (Bangladesh) and Duleep Mendis (Sri Lanka), were still in the meeting which began at 1900 hrs IST and was running into the night.
Apart from the delay in submitting the bid, convincing the respective governments of tax exemption and distribution of matches were among the other key issues that was being discussed, Khan said.
"It would be the first time Bangladesh would be hosting a World Cup match. They will get their share of matches," Khan said.
The meeting was originally to be held on Monday but was advanced since Pawar, Union Minister for Agriculture, was to fly out of India on an official visit.
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