BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirms 2023 World Cup schedule will undergo changes

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah confirmed the 2023 World Cup schedule will undergo a few changes, with the revised schedule to be finalised in consultation with the ICC in a few days. This decision comes after reports suggested the marquee clash between India and Pakistan will be rescheduled on October 14 instead of October 15 due to security reasons.

Following a BCCI meeting in the capital on Sunday, Shah revealed several other countries, without mentioning their names, wrote to BCCI pointing out logistical challenges their teams would face, thus requesting changes. Though the BCCI secretary said the Indian board remains in discussion with cricket’s apex body over possible rescheduling of a couple of dates, he kept mum on the date change of the India vs Pakistan game.

"There is a possibility there could be a few changes in the schedule. Several Full Member countries have written in requesting to change two or three dates in the schedule. We are working it out with the ICC, and we should be able to clear it in two or three days,” Jay Shah said.

As reported earlier, because of Navratri – a nine-day Hindu festival starting on October 15, the local police have requested to reschedule the marquee clash to a another date – something Shah dismissed as a reason straight away.

"If security was an issue then why would the match go there (to Ahmedabad)? [October] 14-15 is not the problem. Two or three boards have written in, asking to change based on the logistical challenges. There are some matches where there is only a two-day gap, so it will be difficult to play and then travel the next day [and then play again]," Shah added.

Venues to remainsame, dates to be adjusted

The BCCI, anyway, took longer than expected to announce the 2023 World Cup schedule, and with several requests now coming in from a few boards, more changes to it will happen, and per Shah, the venues will remain the same while dates will be adjusted.

"As far as possible, we are looking at not changing the venue as well as the matches. Not changing the venue is very important. Teams which have six-day gaps between matches, we are trying to reduce it to four-five days; and those that have just two-day gaps, we are trying to increase to three days," Shah added.

Meanwhile, the 2023 World Cup will begin on October 5 till November 19, with host nation India to face Australia in their campaign opener on October 8 in Chennai.

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