The much-awaited India-Pakistan game in the 50-over World Cup will now be played on October 14 instead of October 15. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has got the approval for the change in schedule from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
It is also learnt that apart from Pakistan’s game against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the date for their clash with Sri Lanka in Hyderabad has also been changed. Instead of October 12 as it was in the original schedule, the game has been brought forward a couple of days to October 10.
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This paper was the first to report that the date for the India-Pakistan game was likely to be changed as it would coincide with the first day of the Navratri festival, celebrated with much fervour in Gujarat.
The revised schedule would give Pakistan three days between their matches against Sri Lanka and India, instead of two days as it was according to the original itinerary. It is understood that Sri Lanka Cricket has given a thumbs up to the proposed modification in the fixture.
After the clash with India, Pakistan’s next game will be against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20.
For Sri Lanka, it would be a quick turnaround after their opening World Cup fixture against South Africa in Delhi on October 7. After the Pakistan game, they are scheduled to face Australia in Lucknow on October 16.
After the game against Afghanistan in Delhi on October 11, the hosts will now have three days before the Pakistan match, instead of four earlier. India’s next game is against Bangladesh in Pune on October 19.
The new schedule now has three matches on October 14. Apart from the India-Pakistan fixture, Bangladesh and New Zealand play a day game in Chennai before defending champions England face Afghanistan in Delhi in the afternoon.
Tinkering
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had stated last week that the India-Pakistan match could be rescheduled, or its timings changed, but won’t be moved from Ahmedabad. He had added that it was not the only contest that could see a change, as there have been requests by some member boards to tinker with three or four fixtures.
“Two or three member boards have requested for a tweaking of the schedule, and it’s their right. We are working on it with the ICC. The venues will not change, as it will give rise to several logistical challenges. What we are looking at is that if a team has six days between matches, we reduce it to five, and if a team has two days between games, we make it three. Teams should get adequate time to travel, rest and train between matches at a World Cup,” Shah had told reporters last week.
Declining to name which games have a chance to be rescheduled, the BCCI secretary said it was a job to be coordinated between the logistical arms of the Indian board and the ICC.
However, change of date means a logistical nightmare awaits fans who have finalised travel plans for the game – for which tickets get sold out within hours, and which brings sky-high TRPs for broadcasters.
Reports from Ahmedabad say that most hotels are already over-booked for mid-October and even homestay options have been exhausted. A surge in airfares is expected as well. Mass cancellation and frenzied bookings are on the cards after the new date for the India-Pakistan game is announced.
With less than two months left for the World Cup to begin, the Indian board is now hoping to sell online tickets for the marquee event soon.