ICC rejects PCB’s request to change Indian venue for World Cup

All of the objections raised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the schedule and venues for the national team in the ODI World Cup in India have been rejected by the International Cricket Council (ICC). In the final schedule of the World Cup released today by the ICC and BCCI, Pakistan’s match against India is scheduled in Ahmedabad as proposed in the draft earlier. However, PCB's request to switch venues for the matches against Afghanistan and Australia have been ignored.  As per wishes of the Pakistan team management, the PCB had asked ICC and BCCI to reschedule its match against Afghanistan from Chennai to Bengaluru and the game against Australia from Bengaluru to Chennai. But none of Pakistan’s objections or requests have been paid heed to. Pakistan last played in India in 2016 in the T20 World Cup.

Soon after the announcement, the PCB made it clear that its participation in the ODI World Cup will be subject to government clearance."Our participation in the World Cup and us playing in Ahmedabad on October 15 or in Mumbai if we qualify for semi-finals will all be dependent on government clearance," said a PCB official. The PCB official said the government has not yet issued any NOC to the PCB to travel to India and since it was a sensitive issue, the Board can only move forward after getting clear directives from its government.