Pakistan will play India and Canada in New York in ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
The ICC has reacted to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) formal complaint about the lodging and boarding of the Pakistan team in New York. ICC has relocated the Pakistan cricket team to a hotel nearer to the match venue in New York for their upcoming T20 World Cup fixtures.
The PCB, led by chairman Mohsin Naqvi, filed a formal complaint about the lengthy commute from the initially designated accommodation to the stadium. This decision comes after the PCB expressed reservations about the team's initial accommodations, which were 90 minutes away from the stadium.
Following Naqvi's intervention, the ICC arranged for the squad to be relocated to a hotel located within a five-minute drive from the purpose-built stadium on Long Island in Westbury, New York.
The new accommodations greatly minimize travel time, improving the team's convenience and readiness for matches. Pakistan will meet arch-rivals India in a high-stakes encounter on Sunday, followed by a game against Canada at the same location on June 11.
An anonymous source from the PCB provided facts regarding the PCB's complaint and the team's relocation with The Associated Press, citing a lack of authorization to address the topic publicly.
The Indian cricket team, which is also playing group games in New York, is staying at a hotel that is within a 10-minute drive from the stadium. India has already won its first match at this location.
The Sri Lankan team, which struggled in its opening encounter against South Africa, had similar concerns about the lengthy travel to the stadium, which is more than an hour from their allotted hotel.
Pakistan will travel to New York after their first Group A encounter against co-hosts the United States in Dallas on Thursday.
This decision to relocate the Pakistan team highlights the ICC's responsiveness to logistical concerns raised by participating teams, ensuring better conditions and reducing travel-related stress during the T20 World Cup.
(With inputs from AP)