India lands 2011 World Cup final

They were confirmed as co-hosts of the event with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at this week's International Cricket Council conference in London.

India previously hosted the final in 1987, while Pakistan had the honour the last time the World Cup was played in Asia 10 years ago.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will stage semi-finals in 2011, with the opening ceremony taking place in Bangladesh.

"It has been decided that all four should evenly play a part in hosting the major events of the tournament," said Pakistan Cricket Board director Abbas Zaidi.

The Asian bid was preferred to a joint application from Australia and New Zealand for the 2011 showpiece.

And officials have already expressed their determination to make it the best World Cup in the tournament's history.

"Traffic will come to a stop in the four countries in 2011. There will be more than a billion (TV) viewers in the sub-continent, and another billion in the rest of the world," India's Inderjit Singh Bindra has said.

India will stage 22 matches, Pakistan 16, Sri Lanka nine and Bangladesh six.

Among the potential venues for the final would be Eden Gardens in Calcutta, which has a capacity of 90,000, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai (Bombay), the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, or the Feroz Shaha Kotla in Delhi.

HOSTS FOR FORTHCOMING ICC TOURNAMENTS