According to sources, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt had indicated it to the ICC President David Morgan in their recent meeting in Dubai.

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the three joint hosts of the World Cup as ICC and PCB have resolved their dispute over hosting of matches in Pakistan.

Relations between India and Pakistan hit a low after the terror attacks in Mumbai last November which led to suspension of bilateral cricket ties.

“The PCB believes the test case for the World Cup will come when the IPL-III will be held in March-April next year,” one source said.

“If the Pakistan government allows its cricketers to play in the IPL then we should not have any problems sending our team to India for the World Cup matches,” the source said.

The central organizing committee of the World Cup which no longer includes any Pakistani representative is due to finalize the schedule of matches and venues for the World Cup in November after which the PCB will know where its team has to play in the tournament.

“A formal truce between the PCB and ICC is expected to be announced on the World Cup issue after a meeting between the heads of the two bodies in Dubai on July 28 or 29,” a well informed source in the board said.

“In effect, PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt has now accepted that there is nothing more he can do to get back the World Cup matches as the arguments and case of the ICC and the other joint hosts of the tournament are very strong for moving the matches out of Pakistan,” the source said.

He said despite spending thousands of dollars on paying legal fees of the law firm in London to prepare a case against the ICC and fight for getting back hosting rights of the World Cup matches, the PCB now has decided to go for a settlement with the ICC.

“The settlement will enable Pakistan to get full hosting fees of $10.5 million from the ICC for its share of 14 World Cup matches. It also looking for other benefits like an extended role in the Future Tour Program and a bigger share of the World Cup revenues,” the source added.

He said Pakistan is likely to announce its members on the World Cup Central Organising Committee and other tournament committees after the Dubai meeting between Ejaz Butt and ICC President David Morgan.

“The PCB got a clear message that if it pursued any legal options against the ICC on the World Cup issue it could face more isolation in the international cricket community and also face possibility of the ICC freezing its share of revenues from different tournaments until the case is decided and the PCB is not in a position to accept this situation,” the source said.