Hyderabad Cricket Association says it can’t host cricket World Cup matches, one is Pakistan

India will host the World Cup from October 5 to November 19 and the initial itinerary has been released with just 100 days left for the tournament. The final schedules for the previous two 50 World Cups (in Australia and New Zealand in 2015 and the United Kingdom in 2019) were known more than 12 months before the events.

The original schedule for the 2023 World Cup has already been drastically changed with nine matches being rescheduled. The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was originally slated for October 15, the first day of the Navratri festival, which is celebrated with much fervor in Gujarat. The clash of dates prompted the game to be brought forward by one day.

Also, Kolkata was earlier scheduled to host the Pakistan-England match on November 12, which coincides with Kali Puja, an important festival in Bengal. This game is now set for November 11th.

These two modifications required moving several other games to fit the holes left in the schedule. For example, when the India-Pakistan match was shifted to October 14, there were three matches on that day, which caused a change. Modifications were also needed to ensure teams had a fair gap between games to accommodate travel, rest and training between games.

Why the delay?

It is not known why the HCA waited so long to request a change of dates. But Indian Express understands that he was taken by surprise with the revised schedule and none of the BCCI bosses or staff consulted the HCA officials about the change of dates.

It was the Hyderabad police who told the HCA that they will not be able to handle two back-to-back games and the security arrangements required, especially for the Pakistan game. About 3,000 policemen will be deployed for a game and a large number of policemen will be stationed at the hotel where the Pakistan team will be staying. The police are learned to have informed the HCA that they will not be able to provide adequate security for the match in Pakistan in case the other game (New Zealand vs Netherlands) is played on the scheduled date.

It is not clear whether the Indian board will change its dates at the last minute, especially with World Cup tickets going on sale from August 25 in seven phases. Already nine of the league’s 45 fixtures have been changed just 10 days ago, and with the tournament almost upon us, it remains to be seen if another change will be made.

Delays in the announcement of the schedule, revisions and the delayed start of ticket sales have the potential to cause great inconvenience to fans who want to watch matches at the stadium. Those wishing to come from abroad will be affected even more. As the tournament draws nearer, air tickets and hotels are expected to increase significantly, leaving a big hole in the pockets of those who wish to experience the World Cup at the various venues.