The upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 is set to be held entirely in India, marking the first time the tournament is being hosted solely by the country. However, there have been ongoing issues with Pakistan regarding the tournament. Initially, Pakistan refused to come to India after the Asia Cup was relocated from Pakistan. They also expressed concerns about playing in Ahmedabad, where their highly anticipated match against India is scheduled to take place.
Recent reports indicate that Pakistan has raised concerns about playing in two other venues, namely Chennai and Bengaluru. According to sources, the selectors and experts from Pakistan are not comfortable with the team’s scheduled matches in these cities. They have reportedly requested a reversal of venues, suggesting that Pakistan play Australia in Chennai and Afghanistan in Bengaluru instead.
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A source close to the proceedings stated that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shared the tentative itinerary with the selectors/experts, who expressed reservations about certain matches and venues. The source also mentioned that the suggestion is to approach the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to reschedule Pakistan’s matches according to the team’s preferences.
However, a source from the BCCI mentioned that while the ICC considers suggestions from member nations regarding venue changes, there needs to be a strong reason behind such requests.