Renowned Indian journalist Vikrant Gupta has revealed that the backup venue for the Pakistan-India World Cup clash is under consideration.
The match is scheduled to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15, but due to political tensions between the two countries, a change in venue is being contemplated.
Gupta mentioned that if the Pakistan government does not permit Pakistan to play against India in Ahmedabad, Chennai will be used as a backup option, as reported on Aaj Tak.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has consistently expressed concerns about playing in Ahmedabad due to security reasons. Former PCB chairman Najam Sethi had made it clear to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Pakistan would not play at the Narendra Modi Stadium unless it was the final match.
Despite PCB’s reservations, the ICC announced the schedule for this year’s World Cup in India on June 26. Pakistan’s first two matches in the tournament will be against qualifiers on October 6 and 12, respectively.
The highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals India is scheduled for October 15 in Ahmedabad.Below is Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:-
October 6: vs Qualifier 1 in Hyderabad-
October 12: vs Qualifier 2 in Hyderabad-
October 15: vs India in Ahmedabad-
October 20: vs Australia in Bengaluru-
October 23: vs Afghanistan in Chennai-
October 27: vs South Africa in Chennai-
October 31: vs Bangladesh in Kolkata-
November 4: vs New Zealand in Bengaluru (Day match)-
November 12: vs England in Kolkata
The day matches will begin at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST), while all other matches will be day-night fixtures starting at 01:30 pm (PST).
Eight teams have qualified for the event through the Cricket World Cup Super League, while the final two spots will be filled by the finalists of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier held in Zimbabwe.
If the West Indies qualify, they will be in Q1 regardless of their position in the Qualifiers. If Sri Lanka qualify, they will be in Q2 regardless of their position in the Qualifiers.
If Pakistan qualifies for the semifinals, they will play in Kolkata. If India qualifies for the semifinals, they will play in Mumbai, unless they face Pakistan, in which case the match will be held in Kolkata.
The tournament will follow a round-robin format, with all teams playing against each other in a total of 45 league matches.
The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16.
Reserve days have been allocated for the semifinals and the final.