KARACHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is mulling to reschedule the most high-profile India vs Pakistan fixture of the ICC Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 from October 15 to October 14, as the initially decided date is reportedly coinciding with the Hindu festival of Navaratri.
According to reports shared by local and international media, the police and local administration of Ahmedabad — where the match is scheduled to be played — have apprised the BCCI management about this, stating that due to October 15 being the first day of the Hindu festival of Navaratri, it would be difficult for the police to take care of security on the day.
The BCCI has further briefed the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the matter, however, there has been no formal decision taken the ICC yet. As per the media reports, the BCCI is expected to have a meeting with all the state associations that are hosting World Cup matches on July 27 before a final call is taken.
There is a possibility that the India Pakistan encounter be moved a day earlier to Oct 14, but that also seems a bit difficult at this stage. The original World Cup schedule has October 14 down as a double-header day: England play Afghanistan in a day match in Delhi and New Zealand play Bangladesh in day-night game in Chennai. Incidentally, there are no triple-headers scheduled, though there are two matches on six days.
The development comes roughly a month after the BCCI announced the World Cup schedule, which itself was severely delayed. While the BCCI has not yet announced any information on when matches tickets will go on sale, fans and other stakeholders have already booked flights and hotels in Ahmedabad for the match, which has historically been one of the most watched sporting encounters globally.