Pakistan Don’t Want To Play 2023 ODI World Cup Matches In Ahmedabad Unless It Is Final: PCB To ICC

Karachi: Amid the Asia Cup stand-off, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi is believed to have informed International Cricket Council (ICC) counterpart Greg Barclay that the Men in Green won’t be playing in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi stadium against India in the ODI World Cup scheduled for October and November later this year.

Barclay and ICC General Manager Geoff Allardice were in Karachi last week to meet with Sethi. The ICC officials were seeking assurance from the PCB boss that Pakistan don’t demand to play their ODI World Cup matches at a neutral venue.

According to a PCB source, quoted by PTI, “Sethi has conveyed to Barclay and Allardice that Pakistan doesn’t want it matches to be scheduled in Ahmedabad unless it is a knock-out game like final.

“He requested ICC to schedule their games in Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata if national team gets clearance from Pakistan government to travel to India for the global event scheduled in October and November,” the source added.

The last time Pakistan played against India in Ahmedabad was during their 2005 tour of India. Inzamam-ul-Haq was leading Pakistan at that time. The source also added that Sethi urged the ICC officials to convince BCCI to accept Pakistan’s Hybrd Model for Asia Cup.

The BCCI and ICC officials who are presently in London for the World Test Championship Final are expected to finalize the schedule and venues for the World Cup in the next few days before it is circulated to the member/participating countries.