Pakistan’s Venue Change Request For World Cup Games Rejected by ICC and BCCI

New Delhi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently requested a change in venues for two World Cup games. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rejected the appeal after a meeting on June 20.

Initially, the PCB wanted to switch venues for Pakistan’s matches in Chennai and Bengaluru. The ICC and BCCI, however, stated that there are no valid reasons to alter the venues at this stage.

According to the ICC, venue selection is the responsibility of the hosts, which is the BCCI in this case. Changes can only be considered if there are security concerns or if a particular venue is unsuitable for international cricket.

Chennai and Bengaluru are considered safe options for Pakistan, with excellent facilities. The request to change the venue for the match against India in Ahmedabad was also previously dismissed.

In the past, venue changes have occurred due to security reasons. For instance, in 2016, the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup game had to be relocated from Dharamsala to Kolkata.

Although the decision was made during the recent meeting, officials from the BCCI and ICC clarified that the focus was on operational matters.

The complete schedule for the World Cup is yet to be released by the BCCI and ICC. However, it is expected that the tournament opener between England and New Zealand will take place in Ahmedabad on October 5. India is scheduled to play against Pakistan at the same venue on October 15, and the final match is set for November 19.

The schedule is anticipated to be announced during an event in Mumbai next week.