PTI

Karachi, May 11: Former ICC President Ehsan Mani was the brain behind Pakistan Cricket Board mounting a legal challenge to the International Cricket Council's decision to move the 2011 World Cup matches from the country for security reasons, media reports said on Sunday.

"Butt held several meetings with Mani after the decision to shift the World Cup matches was taken by the ICC and it was Mani who suggested that the PCB should not allow the matter to be dead," one report said.

Mani, who was the ICC Chief between 2003 and 2006 gave the advice to PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt during meetings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi recently when Pakistan was playing Australia.

Mani told the PCB that the ICC decision could be challenged legally as it was flawed on many counts.

"Mani advised Butt to seek the services of the London based law firm, Mark Gay and DFL Piper and send the notice to the ICC," the report said.

It mentioned that Mani had advised the PCB to invoke the issue with the ICC disputes resolution committee as if it didn't challenge the ICC decision to shift the World Cup matches now Pakistan cricket would be isolated completely in international cricket.

Mani also said that Pakistan had a strong case as the ICC could not take this decision even on security grounds.

Butt said the notice was sent to the ICC today in protest against the decision because if security was the reason for moving the World Cup matches out of Pakistan, then it was no better in Sri Lanka and India.

"We didn't want to and don't want to give useless statements on losing the World Cup matches. But I think our sending the ICC a legal notice is our way of protesting against this decision," Butt told a news conference in Lahore on Saturday.

It was during Mani's tenure as ICC President that the 2011 World Cup was awarded jointly to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Mani broke into the ICC in the late 80s and 90s as Pakistan's representative in the ICC.