In a surprising turn of events, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has submitted a formal request to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a modification to the schedule of the much-anticipated ICC World Cup 2023. This unexpected move comes less than two weeks after the revised tournament schedule was unveiled and just a week prior to the commencement of ticket sales. The cricketing world now waits in anticipation to see how this latest request will impact the already turbulent event.
Hyderabad Cricket Association has confirmed that they have requested BCCI to re-consider the dates as they will be hosting games in back to back days. [Cricbuzz]
NZ vs NED on Oct 9th.
PAK vs SL on Oct 10th. pic.twitter.com/8povPMCtZT
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 20, 2023
The Unfolding Drama
The initial ICC World Cup 2023 schedule was announced with much fanfare on June 27, sending fans into a frenzy of excitement. However, it didn’t take long for reports to surface, revealing concerns from various state cricket associations and participating teams. Their grievances ranged from security issues caused by concurrent festivals to insufficient recovery time between matches.
After considerable deliberation and numerous exchanges between stakeholders, a revised schedule was presented on August 9. This revision resulted in changes to nine fixtures, most notably the rescheduling of the highly anticipated India-Pakistan showdown. Simultaneously, ticket sale dates were confirmed, with the first batch slated for release on August 25.
The Latest Twist
In a report by The Indian Express on August 20, fresh turbulence appears to be brewing on the World Cup horizon. The HCA, custodians of cricket in Hyderabad, have officially approached the BCCI with a plea to introduce a gap between two fixtures the city is set to host on October 9 and 10.
Originally, Hyderabad was set to stage the Pakistan versus Sri Lanka match on October 12. However, due to the reshuffling prompted by the India-Pakistan clash, this fixture was moved forward to October 10. The situation is further complicated as Hyderabad is also slated to host New Zealand versus Netherlands on October 9, creating a logistical challenge for the HCA.
The report highlights concerns raised by the Hyderabad police regarding the provision of adequate security, particularly for the back-to-back fixtures, one of which involves Pakistan. It’s worth noting that the HCA claims they were not consulted by the BCCI before the rescheduling, which has only intensified their concerns. This issue comes to the forefront more than ten days after the revised schedule was initially disclosed.