Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reached an agreement regarding the India-Pakistan match in the ODI World Cup 2023. As per the agreement, Pakistan has agreed to play against their archrivals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Earlier, there were issues surrounding the Asia Cup 2023, where India refused to tour Pakistan, the original hosts of the tournament. The PCB president Najam Sethi proposed a hybrid format for the tournament, which was rejected by India, leading to the Pakistan board threatening to boycott the ODI World Cup or not play in Ahmedabad.
After discussions and negotiations between the BCCI and the PCB, a compromise was achieved. The BCCI accepted the PCB’s proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup 2023. Under this model, the first four games of the tournament’s primary phase will be held in Lahore, Pakistan, while the following phase, including matches against India and the final, will take place in Sri Lanka.
Also read: ICC ODI World Cup 2023: India Will Play These ODI Matches Before the Tournament
To ensure Pakistan’s participation in the 2023 World Cup in India, ICC representatives, including Chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice, visited Lahore and met with PCB representatives. They secured a commitment from Pakistan that their team would travel to India for the World Cup. Only after this assurance, the BCCI decided to accept the PCB’s hybrid model for the Asia Cup.
The BCCI has chosen the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad as the venue for the India-Pakistan World Cup match. The decision was influenced by the expectation of a large number of international fans traveling to India for the event. With a seating capacity of up to 100,000 spectators, the Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in the country.
According to the report, Pakistan will play most of its World Cup matches in Chennai and Hyderabad.
The BCCI has already submitted the World Cup schedule to the ICC, and it is expected to be officially released by Wednesday.