Summary Green Shirts' to play against India in Ahmedabad on October 15
(Web Desk) – An official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it was too early to comment on Pakistan's proposed matches in the recently released provisional schedule for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup.
According to the media reports, the cricketing body remained close-lipped on the proposed Pakistan-India high-octane clash in Ahmedabad on Oct 15, saying the schedule would come under strict scrutiny.
The PCB official added that the provisional schedule circulated among the participating nations would be thoroughly scrutinised before any reaction was given to the proposed matches, especially the one against India on Oct 15.
"We have just received the proposed schedule. The 2023 ODI schedule has been circulated among the participating nations to get their feedback and reactions on the proposed matches, particularly where those particular nations are busy. It is too early to share comments about Pakistan's proposed matches.
Pakistan are expected to start their ODI World Cup campaign with back-to-back matches against the qualifiers on Oct 6 (Hyderabad) and Oct 12 (Hyderabad).
The Green Shirts' next match is against India in Ahmedabad on Oct 15, followed by Australia on Oct 20 (Bangalore) and Afghanistan (Chennai) on Oct 23.
As per the proposed schedule, Chennai will also host a match between Pakistan and South Africa on Oct 27, followed by a match against Bangladesh in Kolkata on Oct 31.
The match between Pakistan and New Zealand is proposed for Bengaluru on Nov 5, while Kolkata will host Pakistan's match against England on Nov 12.
In total, Pakistan will play nine matches in a single league format (all teams playing against each other) directly into the semi-finals.
"Within the next few days, we are going to discuss the schedule within the board and, if required, get the government's consent on the matter. There is no progress yet," the official said.
When asked if the PCB had agreed to allow Pakistan to play in India without government approval or if approval had already been sought, he relpied in the negative.
"We have already made it clear that Pakistan's participation in any cricket event in India is subject to government approval. PCB alone cannot make any decision to play in India without the approval of the government."
The PCB has already sought assurances about the team's security in India, particularly against Hindu extremists. He said, "we are concerned about the security of Pakistani cricketers and want a guarantee from the ICC on this even if our government allows us to cross the border to play in India."
Even ICC chief executive Jeff Allardyce was very specific about player safety.
In a recent statement, he said, "In some places, there is a lot of consultation within the cricket system and with governments and so on. There is a lot of onus on the host to put on a good event, and they have to know. falls through."
