India are set to take on Pakistan on 14 October at Ahmedabad in the World Cup 2023, a day before the originally scheduled date of 15 October.
India will take on Pakistan on 14 October in the ODI World Cup 2023 at Ahmedabad instead of the originally scheduled date of 15 October. As per a report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has agreed on the proposed change of dates with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The date for Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka which is scheduled to be played on 12 October in Hyderabad will also be changed. The match will now be played on 10 October leading to a three-day gap before the India game, news agency PTI reported.
World Cup: The schedule mess is a cruel joke
The change in the date of India vs Pakistan comes after security agencies advised BCCI to look for a tweak as the mega clash was falling on the first day of Navratri. India vs Pakistan on 15 October at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad would have led to a logistical and security nightmare. With the match now set to take place on 14 October at the same venue, fans and organisers could breathe a sigh of relief.
As per the report, the date changes in the World Cup schedule were made after ICC and BCCI approached PCB for rescheduling two of its group matches including the clash against India.
The updated World Cup 2023 schedule is expected to be out soon and a few other matches could be rescheduled.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had confirmed last week that changes will be made to the World Cup schedule as a few ICC Full Member nations have raised objections. He however had denied that the security problem in Ahmedabad for the India vs Pakistan game was the reason behind the change.
Pakistan’s current schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:
6 October: Pakistan vs Netherlands in Hyderabad
12 October: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad
15 October: Pakistan vs India in Ahmedabad
20 October: Pakistan vs Australia in Bengaluru
23 October: Pakistan vs Afghanistan in Chennai
27 October: Pakistan vs South Africa in Chennai
31 October: Pakistan vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
4 November: Pakistan vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match).
Netherlands will open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on 6 October at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, while on 9 October they will take on New Zealand at the same venue
The former Pakistan pacer also pointed out that India will be under a lot of pressure with the World Cup in their own backyard and not winning an ICC title for 10 years will also weigh on the minds of the players.
Despite the green light, Pakistan said that it has 'deep concerns' about the security of the cricket team and it would relay them to ICC and the Indian authorities.