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With just 45 days remaining for the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and less than a week for ticket sales to begin, there has been another request for a tweak in the schedule.
It has been just over a week since ICC announced major changes to the Men’s ODI World Cup schedule, making as many as nine changes, including that of the blockbuster tie between hosts India and Pakistan.
Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is slated to host three of the 45 league-stage matches in the ODI World Cup. Hyderabad will also host the Pakistan-Netherlands game on October 6, New Zealand-Netherlands match on October 9, with the Pakistan-Sri Lanka fixture scheduled the next day.
Among the nine changes made to the original World Cup schedule that was announced in June, Hyderabad witnessed one of those changes, with the Pakistan-Sri Lanka, clash preponed from October 12 to 10 in a bid to give a sufficient gap to the Pakistan side for the match against India which will be on October 14.
According to a report in Indian Express, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has now written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asking for a gap between two games, which it’s now scheduled to host on consecutive days.
Hyderabad Police has raised concerns over providing security for back-to-back games, especially the Pakistan fixture.
The report further added that none of the BCCI heads had consulted the HCA regarding the date change and the issue was rather made aware to the cricket association officials by Hyderabad Police who informed them that they won’t be able to provide adequate security, especially for the Pakistan match. One World Cup match will involve as many as 3000 police personnel while the remaining will be deployed at the hotel where Pakistan players will be staying. HCA have been informed that back-to-back World Cup matches will lead to inadequate security for the Pakistan game.
It is not clear whether the Indian board will change their dates at the last moment, especially with tickets for the World Cup to go on sale from August 25 in seven phases. Already nine of the 45 league fixtures have seen a change just 10 days ago, and with the tournament almost upon us, it remains to be seen if another modification will be made.
The World Cup will kickstart from October 5 and the final match will be played on November 19 where the first match will be played between 2019’s finalists England and New Zealand.
