ICC ODI World Cup 2023 – Pakistan won’t travel to India, wants its games to be held in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed its desire to not travel to India and play its ICC ODI World Cup 2023 matches in either Sri Lanka or Bangladesh, if team India doesn’t visit Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 is scheduled to be held in India, later this year.
Some media reports quoted, Wasim Khan, ICC GM and ex-CEO of PCB, as saying that Pakistan’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 matches will be held in a neutral venue.
Notably, the development came after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held a meeting to adopt a hybrid model to host the Asia Cup 2023, which is originally slated to be held in Pakistan. The hybrid model allows Pakistan to host the Asia Cup 2023 on its own soil in the first part of September, but India’s matches will be held in a neutral venue.
Interestingly, if India and Pakistan, both reach the final, the summit clash of the Asia Cup 2023 would be held outside Pakistan, in a neutral venue.
Further reports say that the PCB will adopt the same model for the upcoming marquee ICC event which will be held in October-November in India.
“Yes, we are thinking that we will not travel to India for World Cup matches if BCCI didn’t send their team to Pakistan for Asia Cup. We want Sri Lanka or Bangladesh to host our matches, we want to play there not in India,” said a PCB source to ANI.
However, ICC has distanced itself from such claims. The ICC official said that the preparations for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 are undergoing full swing in India.
“As far as we are concerned, everything is full speed for a full event in India later this year,” an ICC official said.
While India’s apex cricket body is ready to negotiate Asia Cup 2023 to be held in Pakistan and just India matches to move out, it is not in any mood to move an inch for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Notably, this will be the first instance when India has received full authority to host a complete ICC ODI World Cup. The 2011 World Cup was hosted jointly by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
This year’s World Cup will be held in a similar fashion as it was held in England back in 2019. All 10 teams played against each other once before the knockouts, which means nine games per team during the group stage.
The complete schedule for ICC ODI World Cup 2023 is yet to be revealed by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It is expected to be out in a couple of weeks from here.
For more details head to ICC’s official website.