Karachi, May 22: In a bid to find a solution to an increasingly bitter dispute, the Pakistan Cricket Board is ready to a propose a neutral venue for the World Cup 2011 matches, its chairman said on Friday.

The International Cricket Council, which last month said that games scheduled to take place in Pakistan would have to be moved because of security fears, has convened a June 3 meeting in Dubai to discuss the matter.

The meeting announcement followed legal moves by Pakistan launched in protest at plans to relocate the World Cup 2011 secretariat from Lahore to Mumbai. Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt said all possible efforts will be made to get the matches back on Pakistan soil.

"We will, as per the hosts’ agreement we’ve all signed, submit a satisfactory security plan to the ICC for games in Pakistan. Should that plan not be satisfactory then we will put forward a proposal for a neutral venue," Butt said before leaving for South Africa.

The PCB chairman, who also visited Sri Lanka and India to drum up support earlier this week, is due to meet officials of the South African, Zimbabwean and Australian Boards during his visit to watch Indian Premier League matches.

Butt said Pakistan was looking at either the United Arab Emirates — where they hosted the West Indies last year and Australia in April-May this year — or Malaysia.

"We have in our minds the options of the Middle East and Kuala Lumpur. That process and procedure is part of the hosting agreement that we all signed," said Butt, whose Board was also deprived of the Champions Trophy 2009. In February this year, the ICC had moved the eight-team Trophy from Pakistan to South Africa after several teams refused to tour over security fears.

Butt said he had met ICC vice president Sharad Pawar — the man who will be ICC president from next year — on the issue.

"We decided some solution has to be worked out and we will have a discussion in Dubai on June 3 and all the officials will be there, so I hope a solution will be found," said Butt, who took over as PCB chief in October last year. The ICC last week said that Pakistan will not be paid the $10.5 million hosting fee if the country does not provide alternative venues for the 2011 World Cup.

It also said that Pakistan as a location had been ruled out on security grounds, but the PCB remained a co-host for the event. — AFP