India to host majority of 2011 World Cup matches

MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - India will host a majority of the matches in the 2011 World Cup to be staged in southern Asia, as per the recommendations made by the tournament's central organising committee (COC) on Tuesday.

India will host 29 of the tournament's 49 matches, including a quarter-final, a semi-final and the final, after Pakistan was stripped of staging rights over security concerns in that country.

The COC's recommendations await clearance from the board of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the statement said.

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will host the tournament. Pakistan was initially allotted 14 matches which has been redistributed with India getting eight of those matches.

The matches in India will be played across eight venues, Sri Lanka has 12 matches, including a semi-final, at three venues and Bangladesh eight games at two venues.

Pakistan, who technically continue to be a host, were invited to attend the meeting but went unrepresented, ICC said in a statement after a meeting of the COC at the event's secretariat in Mumbai which was shifted from Lahore.

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