Dates for World Cup Pak vs Ind and others Changed

ICC World Cup Schedule Changed

The ICC has confirmed changes to the dates and start times of nine matches in the upcoming ODI World Cup. This includes the highly anticipated India-Pakistan fixture in Ahmedabad, which has been rescheduled to October 14 instead of October 15. These changes have been announced less than two months before the commencement of the prestigious event.

Teams such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and England have been the most impacted by these alterations. Pakistan has had three of its matches shifted, while Bangladesh and England each experienced two changes in their schedules. Additionally, the originally planned day-night match between Bangladesh and England on October 10 has been converted to a day game.

The adjustment in the India-Pakistan game has led to changes in other matches as well. For instance, Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad, originally set for October 12, has been moved to October 10 to allow for sufficient preparation time leading up to their match against India. Similarly, the Australia-South Africa match in Lucknow has been advanced to October 12 from October 13.

The England-Afghanistan match in Delhi, initially slated for October 14, has been rescheduled to October 15. Meanwhile, the New Zealand-Bangladesh match in Chennai, originally planned as a day game on October 14, will now be a day-night fixture on October 13.

Source: ESPNcricinfo

Furthermore, the double-header scheduled for November 12 – featuring Australia vs Bangladesh in Pune and England vs Pakistan in Kolkata – has been moved to November 11 due to concerns raised by the Kolkata police regarding the Hindu festival of Kali Puja.

The league stage of the World Cup will now conclude with India playing against Netherlands in Bengaluru on November 12 instead of November 11. The tournament kicks off on October 5 with a match between defending champions England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad. The final is scheduled for November 18, also in Ahmedabad, while the semi-finals will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata on November 15 and 16, respectively. Ticket sales for the event are set to begin online on August 25.

The schedule for the 2023 ODI World Cup was released on June 27, marking a departure from previous tournaments where schedules were announced more than a year in advance. The changes were prompted by concerns raised by local police in Ahmedabad about security arrangements on October 15, the original date of the India-Pakistan match, which coincides with the start of Navaratri, a significant nine-day Hindu festival.

Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, said after a BCCI meeting on July 27. 

“If security was an issue then why would the match go there [to Ahmedabad] – 14-15 is not the problem, Two or three boards have written in, asking to change based on the logistical challenges. There are some matches where there is only a two-day gap, so it will be difficult to play and then travel next day [and then play again].”