The Pakistan Cricket Board's request to switch venues for its ODI World Cup 2023 league games has reportedly been denied by BCCI and ICC. The 2023 ODI World Cup is scheduled to take place in India in October- November and both the arch-rivals will be up against each other in the marquee tournament. Pakistan had earlier requested to switch venues for their matches against Australia and Afghanistan.
As per a report by Cricbuzz, the ICC and BCCI held a meeting on June 20 and officially informed their joint decision to the PCB. It was reported in Pakistan media that Babar Azam's team will be playing against Afghanistan in Chennai and will face Australia in Bengaluru. After the release of a draft schedule, the Board requested to switch the venues for the two matches.
The report adds that ICC and BCCI informed that there is no reason to change the venues now. The venues can be changed only after ICC's approval. Also, the venue changes are only considered when a venue is deemed not suitable for cricket or there are security concerns.
Official schedule set to be out soon
Notably, the official schedule for the ODI World Cup is yet to be released. A draft schedule was earlier sent by BCCI to the cricket boards and a full schedule is set to be out next week. The said move will be done during an event in Mumbai.
According to the draft schedule, the opening match of the tournament will be held between England and New Zealand (the 2019 finalists) in Ahmedabad on the 5th of October. India's opening match in the tournament is set to be held against Australia in Chennai on October 8. The Men in Blue will then face Afghanistan in the second game on October 11 in Delhi. The high-octane India vs Pakistan game will be held on October 15 in Ahmedabad. The tournament will feature 10 teams locking horns in a round-robin stage much like it was in 2019.
