The warm-up game between Pakistan and New Zealand is all set to be played behind closed doors in Hyderabad as per the advice of security agencies of the state officials. Earlier, it was reported that the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has requested BCCI to reconsider the rescheduling of the warm-up game between Pakistan and New Zealand on September 29 due to security concerns.
Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has formally informed the Board For Cricket Control in India (BCCI) regarding the difficulty of hosting the warm-up game between two heavyweights Pakistan and New Zealand due to the festivals of Ganesh Visarjan and Milad-Un-Nabi, on September 28th but the cricket board has planned to host the game behind the closed doors.
In a statement released, BCCI confirmed the development that the game will played without spectators due to security concerns in the state owing to the festival on the day and said that fans who bought tickets will receive full refunds for the game.
“The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 warm-up match between New Zealand and Pakistan scheduled to take place in Hyderabad on 29th September will now take place behind closed doors as per the advice of the local security agencies.
“The match in Hyderabad coincides with festivals on the day and large gatherings are expected around the city. The spectators who bought tickets for the game will receive a full refund”.
Previously, a few games, including the India-Pakistan fixture, were postponed because they fell on the first day of Navratri, a significant festival celebrated throughout Gujarat.
This time the reason HCA gave was that the police and security agencies in the city had conveyed their inability to provide security on the particular day of the game.
The Hyderabad Cricket Association and security officials are concerned about the high-profile game as thousands of fans from around the world are scheduled to flock to Hyderabad to see the highly awaited game in the nation.
Earlier, it was reported that the Hyderabad police had expressed concern over the security gap between the two events, which will take place across two days in the city.
The Rajiv International Stadium is scheduled to host the game between New Zealand and the Netherlands on October 9, followed by the match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on the next day.