- Najam Sethi criticizes BCCI for ICC World Cup 2023 schedule changes.
- Hyderabad Cricket Association requests modifications due to security concerns.
- Uncertainty looms over whether BCCI will accept schedule alterations ahead of ticket sales.
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman, Najam Sethi, took to his Twitter account, to criticize the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding potential changes to the ICC World Cup 2023 schedule. Sethi, aged 75, emphasized that the BCCI should have heeded his advice to have Pakistan’s matches played on neutral ground to avoid scheduling complications.
He stated, “@BCCI should have taken my advice re @TheRealPCB playing their WC games in a neutral country 🙂 They are now in a mess with schedule tweaks being proposed every few days!” in a post on his X account.
Recently, the Indian Express reported that the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) had requested the BCCI to modify the schedule for two consecutive games, both to be held at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, due to security concerns raised by local law enforcement. The matches in question are the New Zealand-Netherlands clash on October 9 and the Pakistan-Sri Lanka fixture on the following day.
Originally, the Pakistan-Sri Lanka match was scheduled for October 12, but the date was changed to provide Pakistan with adequate rest between fixtures, particularly after their match against India on October 14.
Notably, earlier in the month, nine World Cup matches were rescheduled without consulting the HCA, prompting them to formally request a change in the schedule. As ticket sales are set to commence on August 25, it remains uncertain whether the BCCI will accept the HCA’s request and make further changes to the schedule.
The ICC World Cup will feature ten teams competing for the prestigious title across ten venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting both the tournament opener and the final. The competition will follow a round-robin format, comprising 45 league matches in which every team plays against each other.
The top four teams will advance to the semifinals, scheduled for November 15 in Mumbai and November 16 in Kolkata, each with reserve days allocated.
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