In a major setback for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have rejected the PCB’s request to change the venues for two 2023 ODI World Cup matches scheduled for October-November.
As per the draft schedule provided by the ICC, Pakistan is set to play against Afghanistan in Chennai and Australia in Bengaluru. The BCCI-ICC joint meeting held on Wednesday informed the PCB that there is no reason to change the venues at this stage.
Earlier, former PCB chairman Najam Sethi had expressed that the India vs Pakistan match should be played in Ahmedabad, but the request was not entertained by the organisers. A venue change in an ICC tournament only occurs if the situation is not suitable for international cricket. In such cases, the matter then has to be approved by an ICC committee.
The ODI World Cup 2023 takes place in India from October 5, with the possibility of England and New Zealand playing the tournament opener at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. The India vs Pakistan match is expected to be played on October 15, while the final is scheduled for November 19.
Although the final venues of the 2023 ODI World Cup are yet to be announced, it is expected that the BCCI will declare the fixtures at a Mumbai event shortly.
Despite PCB’s initial request to change the venues, the ICC and BCCI decided to stick with the original schedule, with the matches set to be played as planned. This decision may prove a significant blow to Pakistan ahead of the ODI World Cup in India.
