From October 5 to November 3, 2023, India will host the World Cup. This will be the fourth time the event has been held in India, but the first time it has been held solely in the country. India co-hosted former World Cups with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. However, there has been some controversy about Pakistan’s participation in the event leading up to it.
Why is Pakistan trying to avoid India for ICC WC 2023?
It was questioned when India announced it would not play matches there due to security concerns. The most recent turn of events involves Pakistan’s request to move two tournament matches to different locations.
Narendra Modi Stadium will host India and Pakistan’s upcoming match. The much-anticipated match between India and Pakistan will occur on October 15 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Other upcoming opponents include Afghanistan in Chennai and Australia in Bengaluru. The PCB’s attitude on the 2023 World Cup match between India and Pakistan has been criticised by Afridi.
PCB requesting a date change
Cricket Pakistan reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) plans to request a date change for one of the games. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) request to switch the sites of their World Cup 2023 group-stage matches was denied by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to the report, some officials think India has proposed games where the Pakistani squad could need help with pitch conditions, practice facilities, and travel arrangements.
India will host the World Cup this year because they gained the right to do so in 2023. The ICC has received the final schedule draft for review and approval. The two matches Babar and his squad will play, one in Chennai and one in Bengaluru were reportedly switched at the request of the Pakistan Cricket Board, as reported by cricbuzz.
Some of the Match Location Highlights
In Chennai, Pakistan will play Afghanistan on a spin-friendly pitch, while in Bengaluru, Pakistan will take on the five-time defending champions, Australia. Due to the pitch switch, Pakistan will be the clear favourite in both matches.
However, during the preliminary rounds, BCCI and the ICC denied PCB’s proposal to change the stadium. Host nations have the legal authority to choose the venue but need ICC’s blessing to make any alterations. Cricbuzz said venue adjustments would only be considered in case of security issues or if the location is deemed inappropriate for international cricket.
When a cricket match between India and Pakistan had to be shifted from Dharamshala to Kolkata in 2016 on safety concerns, this was an example of a venue change incident. It had been reported that the PCB chief had voiced concern regarding playing in Ahmedabad, but his request had been ignored.
Wrapping up
On October 15, 2023, the last game of the ICC World Cup can be played. Next week in Mumbai, the whole agenda will be made public.
