BCCI is looking for the IND-PAK match to be rescheduled on the World Cup premises as the dates coincide with the first day of the Navaratri festival.
IND-PAK match to be rescheduled
The World Cup Schedule 2023 could have a slight Pull following the revelations that Ahmedabad police reports on their inability to provide security for the IND-PAK match on October 15.
The India-Pakistan game is scheduled on the date that coincides with the first day of the sacred Navaratri festival.
At this time, it appears that the BCCI is exploring various options. However, there has not been any formal communication to the International Cricket Council (ICC) or the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), although some feelers may have been given to both bodies.
It is now evident that the advancing India-Pakistan match date may not solve the problem. The alteration will likely have a domino effect, which is the real problem that BCCI is dealing with.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is expected to be exploring alternatives for the dates, out of which one is said to advance the match by a day to October 14.
The World Cup starts on October 5 and concludes on November 19, with Ahmedabad being the venue of both matches.
India opens their World Cup campaign on October 8 with a game against Australia in Chennai, and will also play against Afghanistan on October 11 in Delhi before the game against Pakistan. Their next fixture is against Bangladesh on October 19 in Pune.
As for Pakistan, they play the Netherlands at Hyderabad on October 6 on the second day of the tournament, and Sri Lanka on October 12, also in Hyderabad, before playing India, followed by their fourth game, against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20.
Therefore, in case the game moves to October 14, Pakistan will have just a day between their games in Hyderabad and in Ahmedabad, while India will have two days gap.
The development comes roughly a month after the BCCI announced the World Cup schedule, which itself was severely delayed.
While the BCCI has not yet announced any information on when matches tickets will go on sale, fans and other stakeholders have already booked flights and hotels in Ahmedabad for the match, which has historically been one of the most watched sporting events globally.
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The BCCI secretary Jay Shah has asked members of all hosting venues to have a discussion in New Delhi on July 27.
“I feel it will be in the best interest of all concerned that we meet again to exchange notes and take stock of any issue which needs discussion and decision. Accordingly, you are hereby requested to attend a meeting of the World Cup hosting associations,” the letter read.
