The Indian team has to face Pakistan in the ODI World Cup to be held later this year. Both the teams will be face to face on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The International Cricket Council (ICC) may have already finalized the schedule and made it public last month, but there is a possibility of a change in the date of one of the most prestigious events of the tournament this year.
The date of the India vs Pakistan match can be changed. The day when this great match is going to happen between the two teams is the first day of Navratri. It is celebrated in Gujarat with a Garba dance throughout the night. The agencies have advised the BCCI to shift the match to some other date due to security concerns. News agency PTI reported that the match could be held on October 14, a day ahead of schedule.
"Since October 15 is the first day of Navratri celebrations, security agencies have advised that the match should be rescheduled. This will also require heavy deployment of security officials," a BCCI source told PTI. If needed, the ICC will have to sit with the BCCI to decide on a date change. "Further discussions are required and we will advise on any changes as and when possible," sources close to the ICC said.
Hotels are booked in Ahmedabad
The BCCI is also considering the advice of the security agencies and a final decision will be taken soon. The agencies have told the board that high-profile matches like India vs Pakistan should be avoided on such occasions. Thousands of fans are going to reach Ahmedabad for this match. If the schedule of the match is changed, then the fans can be in a lot of trouble. He has already finalized the travel plans. Almost all the hotels in Ahmedabad are booked for that match. Even the fans have approached for beds in the hospital.
No update on ticket sales
If there is a change in the schedule, there is a possibility of cancellation of hotel bookings on a large scale. Interestingly, the opening match of the tournament is also to be held here between England and New Zealand on October 5. More than two months are left for the tournament, but there is no update on ticket sales yet. This has increased the frustration of the fans. It is believed that the BCCI will start selling tickets after taking a final decision on the India-Pakistan match.
Jai Shah called a meeting
The BCCI has called the state associations hosting World Cup matches for a meeting in New Delhi on Friday to take stock of the preparations. The board will also discuss the possible date change for the India-Pakistan match in the meeting. "The meeting has been called to assess the preparations for the World Cup," a state unit official told PTI. On Wednesday, BCCI secretary Jay Shah wrote to state associations to set up a working group for the World Cup. Shah and five BCCI office-bearers, including BCCI President Roger Binny, will oversee the preparations at all the venues, including the warm-up in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati.
The office-bearers will also be part of the infrastructure and subsidies committee, which will include IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, former BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chowdhary, former Apex Council member Prabhtej Bhatia and KSCA secretary A Shankar. "We hope that these sub-committees will work diligently to achieve our shared goals and objectives. Together we can make the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 a grand success and further raise the standards of infrastructure and development in Indian cricket," Shah said in the letter. The World Cup will be held from October 5 to November 19 across 10 venues. This includes Delhi, Dharamshala, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Chennai, and Kolkata.
(pc amarujala)
