In an agreement that responds to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) request, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has accepted a change in the warm-up match schedule for the upcoming 2023 World Cup in India. The PCB expressed their disinterest in facing Afghanistan during the ICC World Cup warm-up match, emphasizing their preference for a non-Asian team due to an already scheduled encounter with Afghanistan in the Asia Cup prior to the World Cup. To address this concern, the PCB formally communicated their request to the ICC.
After the recent announcement of the tournament’s schedule, it has been confirmed that Pakistan’s warm-up matches will take place against New Zealand and Australia on September 29 and October 3 in Hyderabad. This alteration ensures that Pakistan will not face any Asian team before the commencement of the World Cup.
Outlined below is Pakistan’s schedule for the ICC World Cup 2023:
- October 6: vs Qualifier 1 in Hyderabad
- October 12: vs Qualifier 2 in Hyderabad
- October 15: vs India in Ahmedabad
- October 20: vs Australia in Bengaluru
- October 23: vs Afghanistan in Chennai
- October 27: vs South Africa in Chennai
- October 31: vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
- November 4: vs New Zealand in Bengaluru (Day match)
- November 12: vs England in Kolkata
The day match is set to commence at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST), while all other matches will be day-night fixtures starting at 01:30 pm (PST).
The event will feature a total of ten teams, with eight securing their spots through the Cricket World Cup Super League. The remaining two slots will be filled by the finalists of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier held in Zimbabwe. If the West Indies qualify, they will be designated as Q1 regardless of their finishing position in the Qualifiers. Likewise, if Sri Lanka qualifies, they will hold the Q2 position, irrespective of their final standing in the Qualifiers.
In the event that Pakistan advances to the semi-finals, their match will be held in Kolkata. Similarly, if India qualifies for the semi-finals and faces Pakistan, the match will be played in Kolkata; otherwise, it will take place in Mumbai.
The tournament will employ a round-robin format, with all teams playing against each other in a total of 45 league matches. The top four teams will progress to the semi-finals, scheduled for November 15 in Mumbai and November 16 in Kolkata. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days in case of unforeseen circumstances, ensuring a fair and competitive conclusion to the tournament.
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