Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will face off at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15 during the 2023 ODI World Cup, as per the schedule released by the International Cricket Council today.
The World Cup in India will begin on October 5 in Ahmedabad, and will be played across 10 venues. The final, too, will be in Ahmedabad, on November 19. The semifinals will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata on November 15 and 16.
The 45 league matches of the 2023 ODI World Cup, the semis and the final, will be played at Dharamsala, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai over 46 days.
The long-awaited 2023 ODI World Cup schedule was finally released by the ICC and BCCI at an event in Mumbai on Tuesday, just 100 days before the start of the tournament.
The format
It will be the same as in 2019, with 10 teams playing each other once in the league phase and the top four qualifying for the semifinals. India qualified for the event as hosts, while Afghanistan, Australia, England, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa made it by finishing in the top eight of the 2020-2023 World Cup Super League.
The remaining two teams will be identified at the ongoing World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, which is being played by Sri Lanka, West Indies, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland, UAE, USA and Zimbabwe.
The 2023 World Cup will open with a rematch between the 2019 finalists - New Zealand and England. India will open their campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.
India then play Afghanistan in Delhi on October 11; Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 15; Bangladesh in Pune on October 19; New Zealand in Dharamsala on October 22; England in Lucknow on October 29; a qualifier in Mumbai on November 2; South Africa in Kolkata on November 5; and another qualifier in Bengaluru on November 11.
ICC rejects Pakistan's request to relocate games
The objections raised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the schedule and venues for the national team team in the ODI World Cup in India have been rejected by the ICC.
PCB had requested the world cricket body to switch venues for the matches against Afghanistan and Australia.
As per wishes of the Pakistan team management, the PCB had asked ICC and BCCI to reschedule the match against Afghanistan from Chennai to Bengaluru and the game against Australia from Bengaluru to Chennai.
The Pakistan team management had concerns that given the Chepauk's history of helping spinners, it would leave the side at a disadvantage against Afghanistan, who have quality spinners.
But none of Pakistan's objections or requests have been paid heed to and even the semifinals have been scheduled in Mumbai and Kolkata although the PCB has conveyed to the ICC it is not comfortable playing in Mumbai due to political and diplomatic reasons.
The ICC not entertaining Pakistan's request was on expected lines as it usually addresses concerns over venues on potential security threat and not on cricketing grounds.
With the elections for the post of PCB chairman now postponed at least until July 17, it remains to be seen how the board reacts to the World Cup schedule announcement.
Pakistan last played in India in 2016 in the T20 World Cup.