The 2023 World Cup is set to be played in India from October 5 to November 3. While it will be the fourth time that the tournament will be played in India, this will also be the first time that the country hosts the tournament exclusively. India had co-hosted the World Cup with either Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh in the past.
The run-up to the tournament hasn’t been without controversy though, most of it around Pakistan’s participation in the tournament. There had been speculation as to whether Pakistan would refuse to travel to India after the latter refused to play matches in the country during the upcoming 2023 Asia Cup due to security reasons.
The latest development seems to be that Pakistan are asking for changes in venues for two matches in the tournament. While the official schedule is not out yet, it has been widely reported that Pakistan will face India in Ahmedabad. Apart from this, they are also set to face Afghanistan in Chennai and Australia in Bengaluru.
According to Cricket Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are set to ask for a swap of the two matches. The report states that some officials believe that India has intentionally proposed matches in venues where the Pakistan team may encounter challenges related to pitch conditions, practice facilities, and travel arrangements.
The ICC is yet to release a schedule for the World Cup. However, according to ESPNCricinfo, India and Pakistan are set to face each other at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15. England and New Zealand will face each other in the first match of the tournament on October 5 in what will be a replay of the thrilling 2019 World Cup final. India will launch their campaign against Australia in Chennai on October 8.
