The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seeking a swap of venues for their ICC World Cup 2023 matches against Australia and Afghanistan as the BCCI moves closer to finalizing the venues for the mega ICC event which begins on October 5 onwards.
Pakistani analysts have begun studying data pertaining to the national team’s World Cup 2023 sites. In response to their plea, the PCB has stated that they would prefer to play their match against Australia in Chennai rather than Afghanistan.
According to the proposed schedule leaked by ‘ESPNCricinfo’ on June 11, the Pakistan team’s initial two league stage matches are slated for October 6th and 12th in Hyderabad Deccan. The highly anticipated Pakistan-India match in Ahmedabad is proposed for October 15th, followed by the match against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20th.
The matches against Afghanistan and South Africa are scheduled to be held in Chennai on the 23rd and 27th, respectively. On October 31st, there will be a match against Bangladesh in Kolkata and then will be playing against New Zealand in Bengaluru on November 5th. Finally, Pakistan will face England in Kolkata on November 12th.
The analysts have supplied the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with detailed information about all of the sites, emphasizing their qualities in terms of favoring spinners, and pacers, or providing favorable conditions for hitters.
Pakistan Wants To Play Afghanistan In Bengaluru Instead Of Chennai And Vice-Versa For Australia
As per Cricket Pakistan, PCB believes, India has intentionally proposed matches in venues where the Pakistan team may encounter challenges related to pitch conditions, practice facilities, and travel arrangements.
Their match against Afghanistan is scheduled in Chennai where the pitch to conducive to spin bowlers and Afghanistan has some of the best spinners in Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
As a result, Pakistan has requested to relocate their match against Australia to Chennai and their match against Afghanistan to Bengaluru.
On the other hand, while the ICC has stressed the importance of the India v Pakistan match being played in Ahmedabad where more than 1,00,000 people can enjoy this epic clash, the PCB has stated that before making any obligations in this area, they will obtain approval from their government. Before delivering any assurance, they prioritize acquiring the appropriate approvals.