The BCCI is considering the possibility of rescheduling the highly anticipated India-Pakistan World Cup match, currently set for October 15 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. However, officials insist that the match will still take place in Ahmedabad. Along with this potential change, there might be other modifications in the plans as well.
“We have received requests from 2-3 ICC member boards participating in the World Cup to make some changes to the schedule,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah told reporters after a meeting with the ten staging associations in Delhi on Thursday. “What’s important for us is we don’t have to make any change in venues.”
The possible reason behind considering a change in the date for the India-Pakistan match is its overlap with the Navaratri festival, a significant celebration in Gujarat. This coincidence could potentially pose security challenges for the police forces during the event. However, Shah, a key official, has firmly denied that the match is being moved due to security concerns.
While no alternative dates have been officially confirmed yet, there are ongoing efforts to reschedule the match for October 14. This would aim to minimize disruptions for ICC’s commercial partners, vendors, and cricket fans who have already made arrangements such as pre-booking hotels and flights to Ahmedabad for the original match date.
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Regarding other schedule changes for the 46-day event, there may be a reduction in the longer intervals between certain matches. However, the exact number of changes required to the original schedule will only be clear within the next 3-4 days.
The BCCI has decided to stick with physical ticketing for the upcoming World Cup. This decision is due to uncertainty about the readiness of systems to handle e-ticketing in high-capacity stadiums in India.
To provide a better experience for fans and avoid long queues, the Indian board plans to establish multiple ticket-collection points at the venues about a week before each match. The sale of tickets is likely to commence next week, but this can only happen once the revised schedule is officially released.