Pakistan to play 9 World Cup league matches at solely 5 venues
Pakistan start their marketing campaign by taking part in the 2 qualifiers from the event in Zimbabwe in Hyderabad on October 6 and 12, earlier than travelling to Ahmedabad to tackle India on October 15. They then journey to Bengaluru to play Australia on October 20, and onward to Chennai, the place they play Afghanistan on October 23 and South Africa on October 27.
The PCB had requested the ICC to swap venues for his or her fixtures in opposition to Afghanistan and Australia (they wished to play Afghanistan in Bengaluru and Australia in Chennai) a request that has not been granted.
Pakistan then head east to Kolkata for his or her fixture in opposition to Bangladesh on October 31 and again to Bengaluru for his or her match in opposition to New Zealand on November 4. Their ultimate league match, which is able to happen on the final day of the league part, is in opposition to England in Kolkata on November 12. If Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, they’ll play the sport in Kolkata.
They will gear up for the 2023 event in India with warm-up video games between September 29 and October 3.
The World Cup schedule was lastly launched at an occasion in Mumbai simply 100 days earlier than the beginning of the event on October 5. In comparability, the fixtures for the 2019 World Cup in England and the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand have been launched greater than 12 months prematurely.
The event can be performed throughout ten venues in India, with the semi-finals in Mumbai and Kolkata on November 15 and 16, and the ultimate in Ahmedabad on November 19. The knockout video games all have a reserve day provisioned. The format would be the identical because it was in 2019, with ten groups taking part in one another as soon as within the league part and the highest 4 qualifying for the semi-finals.
India certified for the occasion as hosts, whereas Afghanistan, Australia, England, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa made it by ending within the prime eight of the 2020-2023 World Cup Super League. The remaining two qualifiers can be recognized on the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, which is being performed by Sri Lanka, West Indies, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland, UAE, USA and Zimbabwe.
But will Pakistan journey to India in any respect?
Despite the World Cup schedule being introduced, there may be nonetheless no official affirmation from Pakistan that they’ll journey to India. Due to strained political relations between the 2 international locations, Pakistan haven’t toured India because the 2016 males’s T20 World Cup. The newest phrase on the matter was that Pakistan’s ministry of international affairs was evaluating the team’s participation in the World Cup and would convey its view to the PCB sooner or later.
“The PCB requires the Government of Pakistan’s clearance for any tour to India, including the match venues. We are liaising with our government for guidance, and as soon as we hear something from them, we will update the Event Authority (ICC),” PCB communications director Sami Ul Hasan mentioned. “This position is consistent to what we had told the ICC a couple of weeks ago when they shared with us the draft schedule and sought our feedback.”
It is known that with the time period of the ruling authorities in Pakistan ending in August, the choice on whether or not the crew will journey to India can be deferred till the subsequent authorities takes cost. This being an election 12 months, the federal government is not going to make a proper announcement at this stage, although tentative permission has been given. The ultimate choice can be taken nearer to the departure date, prefer it was when India hosted the 2016 World Cup.
Back then, Nawaz Sharif’s authorities gave the crew last-hour clearance to journey after sending a delegation to India for safety reconnaissance. The PCB had threatened to tug out of the T20 World Cup in India except they’d assurance from the Indian authorities concerning the safety of the Pakistan crew, which ultimately resulted within the India-Pakistan match transferring from Dharamsala to Kolkata.