Kruti Dave, Pune
On Wednesday, August 9, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released the updated schedule for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Due to various factors, the dates of the eight fixtures have changed.
The much-anticipated match between the hosts India and their neighbouring Pakistan, set to take place at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on October 15, has now been postponed to October 14. This change occurs due to worries expressed on October 15—the first day of Navratri—about the availability of appropriate safety measures.
The India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad and the England-Pakistan match in Kolkata, it is said, had to be moved because they clashed with the religious celebrations of Kali Puja and Navratri in their respective towns.
One can understand why police officials informed the planners that a date change was advised since large-scale events and World Cup games involving Pakistan require proper protection.
The BCCI-PCB standoff over the Asia Cup locations, which began when the tournament itinerary was first released to celebrate the 100-day countdown, had already caused a delay when India refused to travel to Pakistan to compete.
MATCHES FOR INDIA AND PAKISTAN THAT WERE RESCHEDULED
India vs. Pakistan, 15–14 October
Sri Lanka vs. Pakistan, 12–10 October
Pakistan vs. England on November 12–11
India vs. the Netherlands, November 11–12
EFFECTS ON OTHER GAMES
As a result, the England-Afghanistan match in Delhi will now take place on Sunday, October 15, rather than Saturday, October 14.
The match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad has been shifted from Thursday, October 12, to Tuesday, October 10, providing Babar Azam’s team extra time to rest and travel before the match against India.
Additionally, Australia’s significant match against South Africa in Lucknow has been pushed back by 24 hours and will now occur on Thursday, October 12, rather than Friday, October 13.
The match between New Zealand and Bangladesh, originally slated to be played as a day match on October 14 in Chennai, has also been postponed and will now be played as a day-night match on Friday, October 13.
IN KOLKATA, THE DATE CHANGES
In the meantime, it was revealed that the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) had requested that the ICC recce team reschedule England vs. Pakistan match, which was initially planned for November 12 since it fell on the same day as the Hindu holiday of Kali Puja.
Ahead of the league phase’s conclusion, the schedule contains three modifications.
Australia vs. Pakistan in Pune at 10:30 AM and England vs. Pakistan in Kolkata at 2:00 PM are now part of the doubleheader games initially scheduled for Sunday, November 12, but were pushed up daily.
Currently scheduled in Bengaluru as a day-night matchup, India’s final league match versus the Netherlands has been moved from November 11 to November 12.