The tournament director of the Twenty20 cricket world cup, MV Sridhar, said on Tuesday he was "more than hopeful" of the India-Pakistan group match at Dharamsala will be held as scheduled on March 19. After a meeting with officials from the home ministry and the Himachal Pradesh government, Sridhar said the Centre and the Himachal Pradesh government were committed to providing security for the game, but added that the final decision lies with the Pakistan team.

A security delegation from Pakistan is currently reviewing security arrangements at Dharamsala after the Pakistan Cricket Board threatened to pull out of the tournament. The delegation will submit its report to the PCB and the Pakistani government before a final decision is announced, reported PTI. This comes after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbadhra Singh said that given the “attitude of Pakistan towards India” and the soldiers who have lost their lives because of recent terror attacks, the match should be played elsewhere.

Pakistan is scheduled to play at least three more matches in India – against New Zealand and Australia in Mohali, and versus a qualifier in Kolkata.