World Cup 2023: What if Pakistan don’t travel to India, ICC sources reveal: India and the BCCI are all set to host its fourth ICC Cricket World Cup event later this year in October-November, the schedule for which was announced by the ICC on 27th June. The lucrative multi-nation tournament will see 10 teams fight for the coveted World Cup 2023 tournament, however, there is still no certainty in Pakistan’s participation.
Although Pakistan’s fixtures in the World Cup 2023 are confirmed by the ICC and the apex cricket body expects PCB to visit India in October-November, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to seek official permission from their government.
Earlier, many speculations were floating around that the PCB might abandon the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 due to certain differences in opinions with the BCCI. However, ICC’s office bearers later convinced PCB to visit India, but there is still an obstacle to be conquered, which is the government’s approval.
Meanwhile, what will happen if Pakistan don’t travel to India, or if its government deny the request to visit India for the World Cup 2023? The ICC sources have revealed that this will be a special case and rules are set in place for such circumstances as well.
According to the ICC sources, if Pakistan refuses to take part in the World Cup 2023, then the third-top team in the ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifier will take Pakistan’s place and feature in the event.
“If Pakistan decides against coming to India for the World Cup, then it will be replaced by the third-top team from the WC Qualifiers,” said the ICC sources.
As per the announced schedule, the most anticipated India vs Pakistan fixture is scheduled to be held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15. Moreover, the two sides could meet again if they both qualify for the semi-finals. Originally Semi-final 1 is scheduled to be held in Mumbai, but in case India and Pakistan play the semi-final 1, then the venue will be shifted due to security concerns raised by the PCB.
The majority of Pakistan’s fixtures in the World Cup are scheduled in the southern part of India. The Men in Green will play two games apiece in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata while one of their matches will be held in Ahmedabad.
Down below is the detailed schedule of Pakistan in the World Cup 2023:
- October 6: Pakistan vs Qualifier 1, Hyderabad
- October 12: Pakistan vs Qualifier 2, Hyderabad
- October 15: Pakistan vs India, Ahmedabad
- October 20: Pakistan vs Australia, Bengaluru
- October 23: Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Chennai
- October 27: Pakistan vs South Africa, Chennai
- October 31: Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Kolkata
- November 4: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Bengaluru
- November 12: Pakistan vs England, Kolkata
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For more details head to BCCI’s official website.
