ICC Announces Cricket World Cup Re-schedule, India-Pakistan Match on October 14
NEW DELHI, Aug 9: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced a revised schedule for the World Cup 2023 matches in ODI format with the highly-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash been preponed by a day to October 14 from its original date of October 15. There was no change in the venue of the event. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the match.
A month after the schedule of all 48 matches was revealed, objections were raised by three Full Members, along with reports suggesting concerns regarding security on the first day of Navratri for the India-Pakistan match on October 15 in Ahmedabad. However, the venues for the World Cup matches remain untouched.
After a meeting with the ten staging associations in Delhi, BCCI secretary Jay Shah revealed that the apex cricket board of India received requests from 2-3 ICC member boards participating in the World Cup to make some changes to the schedule. Shah had categorically dismissed that India’s blockbuster meeting with Pakistan was being moved for security reasons.
Rescheduled World Cup 2023 matches
October 10: England vs Bangladesh – Dharamsala – 10:30 AM
October 10: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka – Hyderabad – 2:00 PM
October 12: Australia vs South Africa – Lucknow – 2:00 PM
October 13: New Zealand vs Bangladesh – Chennai – 2:00 PM
October 14: India vs Pakistan – Ahmedabad – 2:00 PM
October 15: England vs Afghanistan – Delhi – 2:00 PM
November 11: Australia vs Bangladesh – Pune – 10:30 AM
November 11: England vs Pakistan – Kolkata – 2:00 PM
November 12: India vs Netherlands – Bengaluru – 2:00 PM
There were changes made to eight other World Cup matches apart from the India-Pakistan big-ticket clash. India’s last group-stage match against the Netherlands will now be played on November 12 instead of November 11 in Bengaluru.
Because of the shifting of the India-Pakistan match, England’s fixture against Afghanistan in Delhi has been moved from Saturday, October 14 and will now be played a day later on Sunday, October 15. Pakistan’s contest against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad will now be played on October 10 instead of October 12.
England and Bangladesh saw the most changes to their schedule. Three of their matches were either shifted or changed to a day-game from a day-nighter. Bangladesh vs New Zealand match, originally scheduled as a day match for October 14 in Chennai, has been moved to October 13 and will be played as a day-night contest.
From the initial phase of the tournament, a minor change to the fixture refers to the timing of England’s match-up against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, with the clash becoming a day match and a 10:30AM (IST) start after it was originally scheduled as a day-night fixture.
Towards the end of the league stage, there are three changes with the double-header encounters of Sunday, November 12 being moved a day earlier to Saturday, November 11 – Australia vs Bangladesh in Pune (10:30 AM) and England vs Pakistan in Kolkata (02:00 PM).
Australia’s big match against South Africa in Lucknow has been preponed by a day and will now be played on Thursday, October 12 instead of Friday, October 13.
Bengaluru is set to host five matches, including India’s match against the Netherlands. Two games of Pakistan’s World Cup matches against Australia and New Zealand will also take place at the same venue. Rohit Sharma’s Team India is set to kickstart their ICC World Cup campaign against five-time champions Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8.
There were no changes in the venue, timings and dates of the World Cup semi-finals and final. The first semi-final will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15 while the Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the second semi-final on November 16. The final will be played in Ahmedabad on November 19.
(Manas Dasgupta)
