Karachi, Mar. 23 : Former Pakistan cricket captain Zaheer Abbas has said that the shifting of the Indian Premier League (IPL) from India may further dent hopes of holding the 2011 World Cup in the region whose fate already hangs in uncertainty, especially after the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore.

Abbas termed the decision to shift the IPL from India to some other country as a `bad omen' for Asian cricket.

"The shifting of the IPL outside India will send wrong signals to the rest of the world that this region is not safe to host international cricket," The News quoted Abbas, as saying.

He stressed on the need for developing a joint strategy with the entire Asian cricket playing countries to tackle the terror issue which has now cast a shadow of uncertainty over cricket's future in the region.

"Now, India has also been affected. Unless we come out with concrete steps, things will get worse for us and there is a big possibility that we might also lose the hosting rights for the next World Cup," Abbas said.

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are scheduled to host the 2011 cricket World Cup, but following the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket in which seven players were injured, speculations are rife that the International Cricket Council (ICC) may rethink over hosting the event in the region.

And, now shifting of IPL has only made the matter worse. (ANI)