ICC, BCCI succumb to PCB’s demand regarding World Cup match

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has successfully convinced the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to meet their demands concerning the World Cup semi-final match.

Due to security concerns, Pakistan had expressed their unwillingness to play a World Cup match in Mumbai. This decision was communicated to the ICC officials during their recent visit to Lahore.

On Tuesday, the ICC announced the schedule for the 2023 World Cup, designating Mumbai and Kolkata as the venues for the semi-final matches. However, if the Indian cricket team qualifies for the semi-finals, their match will be held in Mumbai, whereas If Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, they will play in Kolkata. In the case of an India-Pakistan semi-final, the match will take place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata instead of Mumbai.

The roots of these concerns trace back to incidents in the past. In 1991, the Shiv Sena party, led by the late Hindu leader Bal Thackeray, vandalized the pitch at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium just two days before Pakistan's scheduled one-day series in India. This resulted in Pakistan canceling the tour, as well as two subsequent tours in 1993 and 1994, due to security fears. Another incident occurred in 1999 when a group of approximately 25 Shiv Sena supporters stormed New Delhi's Feroze Shah Kotla stadium, where Pakistan was playing their first Test series on Indian soil in 12 years, and dug up the pitch.

Meanwhile, the PCB has disclosed its official position regarding the World Cup 2023 schedule unveiled by the ICC on Tuesday.

“The board requires the Government of Pakistan’s clearance for any tour to India, including the match venues,” PCB spokesperson said.

“We are liaising with our government for guidance, and as soon as we hear something from them, we will update the Event Authority [ICC]. 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,” he added.

Apart from Mumbai, Pakistan had also expressed concerns about playing in Ahmedabad for security reasons. However, after extensive discussions and negotiations between the BCCI and the PCB, a resolution was reached. The BCCI agreed to accept the PCB's proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup, leading to the decision to resolve the issue. Consequently, the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match will now take place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15.