The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) finally announced the plan for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Tuesday, June 27, in Mumbai. Even though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) didn’t like where the India vs. Pakistan game would be held, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is still the place where the game will be held.
In a new turn of events, PCB said that it needs permission from the Pakistani government to go to India and take part in the big event. India and Pakistan haven’t played cricket against each other since 2013. The last time these two teams played each other in a bilateral match was in 2012-13. Since then, they have only met in international tournaments.
“The PCB needs permission from the Pakistani government for any tour to India, including where the games will be played,” a PCB spokesman told Cricbuzz.
The person also said that they are in touch with their government and that they will let the ICC know when they hear back.
“We are talking to our government to find out what to do, and as soon as we hear back from them, we will let the Event Authority (ICC) know. This position is the same as what we told the ICC a couple of weeks ago when they gave us a draught plan and asked for our opinion,” the spokesman said.
The ICC and the BCCI are sure, though, that the Pakistan team will go to India.
One thing that PCB didn’t like was that the India-Pakistan game was going to be held in Ahmedabad. They had said that they would rather play in Chennai or Bengaluru. Also, they wanted the hosts, BCCI and ICC, to switch their games against Afghanistan and Australia, which are currently set to take place in Chennai and Bengaluru.
Pakistan has signed an agreement to participate, and a representative of the world body said, “We expect them to be there, and we haven’t heard anything to the contrary.”
“All Members have to follow their country’s rules and laws, and we accept that. But we’re sure Pakistan will be in India for the Men’s Cricket World Cup,” the source said.
Since the beginning of the year, the PCB and the BCCI have been at odds over where the Asia Cup 2023 will be held. In response, Pakistan threatened to pull out of the World Cup if India didn’t go to Pakistan for the event.
If Pakistan makes it to the semi-finals, they will play in Kolkata.
The two boards finally found a middle ground about the continental event. It will be held in a hybrid way, with all of India’s games taking place in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan’s league games will take place in five different cities: Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata. The BCCI and ICC have also made it clear that if Pakistan makes it to the knockout stage, they will play their quarterfinal in Kolkata.