The much-awaited India vs Pakistan match in the ICC World Cup 2023 is likely to be rescheduled from October 15 to October 14. The venue for this high-profile clash will remain the same – Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which is the world’s highest capacity stadium. Both BCCI and ICC officials have confirmed that the venue will not change despite the rivalry between the two teams. It’s worth noting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has previously called for venue changes during an ICC event in India. In the 2016 T20 World Cup, after their security delegation’s visit, they successfully convinced the organizers to move their league tie against India from Dharmshala to Kolkata.
On Thursday, a formal announcement is expected after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) receives approval from a top-level committee headed by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Once the green signal is given, PCB will have no concerns about sending their team to India for the ICC event beginning on October 5. However, they might request to conduct a thorough inspection of all the venues in India where they are scheduled to play. Reports in Pakistani media indicate that PCB plans to form a special security unit for this purpose.
According to ICC sources, rescheduling the India vs Pakistan match will also result in a change in the date of Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka on October 12 in Hyderabad. It is likely to be played on October 10 to provide sufficient gap between the two games. Consequently, Pakistan’s match against the Netherlands, initially scheduled for October 6 at the same venue in Hyderabad, may also be moved earlier by a day or two if the same reasoning is applied.
Also read: ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Poster Released
The primary reason for changing the dates of the India vs Pakistan match in the ICC World Cup 2023 is to avoid a clash with the start of the Navratri festival. The original date of October 15 would have posed challenges for security arrangements, necessitating the rescheduling.
The ICC and BCCI approached the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to discuss the rescheduling of two of their group matches, including the high-profile clash against India in Ahmedabad.
Interestingly, the rescheduling of Pakistan’s matches is not the only change that will occur when the ICC announces a revised version of the ODI World Cup fixtures. BCCI secretary Jay Shah recently confirmed that a few other member boards have also requested tweaks in their respective schedules. This indicates that matches for these teams are also likely to be rescheduled to accommodate various requirements and avoid clashes with significant events.
The ICC World Cup 2023 will kick off with a match between England and New Zealand, the finalists of the last edition, on October 5 in Ahmedabad. Hosts India will begin their campaign against Australia on October 8 at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The two semi-final matches of the tournament are scheduled to be held on November 15 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and on November 16 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The final match will be played in Ahmedabad on November 19. These dates will remain unchanged.
However, there is an important condition regarding the semi-finals. If India qualifies for the semi-final, they will play that match in Mumbai, unless their opponent happens to be Pakistan. In that case, Pakistan’s semi-final match will be held in Kolkata, regardless of any other factors.
The tickets for the group stage matches of the World Cup are expected to be available for sale in the second week of this month.