The Women's Cricket Association in India will bid for the 2008 Women's Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia, if the world champions decide against hosting it.

Australia is yet to confirm whether it will host the tournament.

"Since Australia is not sure, we have decided to step up and show our willingness to host the World Cup," WCAI Secretary Shubhangi Kulkarni told rediff.com

India, who finished runner-up to Australia in the World Cup this year, hosted the event in 1997. The team from Down Under won the title then and defeated India in the semi-final at Delhi by 19 runs.

Kulkarni said India would go ahead with the bid irrespective of the merger with the men's Board for Control of Cricket in India.

"India is also hosting a quadrangular series before that," she said. "It will be a very good series since the top four teams in the world -- Australia, New Zealand [Images], England [Images] and India -- will feature in the tournament."