The 2023 ODI World Cup schedule is going to see some changes, as confirmed by Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary. The revised schedule will be worked out in consultation with the ICC and is expected to be finalized in the next few days.
Recently, there were talks about the BCCI considering moving the India vs. Pakistan match in Ahmedabad from October 15 to October 14.
While Jay Shah didn’t explicitly mention this change, he did reveal that some other cricket boards have reached out to the BCCI, expressing concerns about logistical challenges their teams might face during the tournament. However, the specific countries making the requests were not mentioned.
Shah stated, “There is a possibility that a few changes might be made in the schedule. Several Full Member countries have requested changes to two or three dates in the schedule. We are working with the ICC to address these requests, and we hope to have it sorted out in the next two or three days.”
The main reason behind considering the rescheduling of the India-Pakistan fixture by a day was due to security concerns raised by the local police. October 15 is the first day of Navratri, a significant nine-day Hindu festival.
However, Shah denied that this was the primary reason for the change, emphasizing that security was not an issue, and if it was, the match wouldn’t have been scheduled in Ahmedabad.
He clarified, “The reason for any possible changes is the logistical challenges faced by certain teams. Some matches have a gap of only two days, making it difficult for the teams to play, travel the next day, and then play again.”
In the revised schedule, the venues of the matches will remain the same, but the gaps between games will be adjusted.
The focus is on avoiding changes to the venues as much as possible. They are looking to reduce the gaps from six days to four or five days for some teams and increase them from two days to three days for others.
It’s worth noting that the World Cup schedule was released just a month ago, which was a significant delay compared to previous World Cups, where the schedule was usually released at least a year in advance.
The tournament is set to commence on October 5, with a match between reigning champions England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
However, the ticketing process, including pricing and platforms, has not yet been announced by the ICC and the BCCI. Jay Shah mentioned that these details will be revealed next week in coordination with the ICC.
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