Less than two months remain for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 to begin and it seems like the schedule is yet to be finalised with a third Indian state association objecting to the scheduling. Following a 9-game rescheduling that the World Cup schedule has already undergone following requests by Gujarat Cricket Association and Cricket Association of Bengal to change the dates of their respective games falling on festival dates, the Hyderabad Cricket Association has now urged the BCCI to oblige to their request as the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is set to hosts back-to-back games on October 9 and 10.
Hyderabad was supposed to host three games in World Cup 2023 on October 6, 9 and 12. But with the October 12 game between Pakistan and Sri Lanka getting preponed to October 10, the state cricket association has urged the BCCI to consider a change as the police may not be able to provide security on consecutive days.
The game was preponed to give Pakistan enough days to prepare for the high-octane clash against India, which was shifted from October 15 to 14. Now with another schedule change proposed, former PCB chairman Najam Sethi has taken a dig at the BCCI saying that they should have listened to his advice of Pakistan playing at a neutral venue.
Taking to Twitter (X), Sethi wrote, "@BCCI should have taken my advice re @TheRealPCB playing their WC games in a neutral country :) They are now in a mess with schedule tweaks being proposed every few days!"
Sethi, when he was at the helm of the PCB had said that since they had listened to BCCI's request to play Asia Cup 2023 at a neutral venue, they should have also done the same, with regards to the World Cup. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan confirmed the men's team's participation in the World Cup in India on August 6.
Pakistan will play their opening game of the World Cup at the very same venue against the Netherlands on October 6 before the Dutch take on New Zealand in Hyderabad on October 9.
