The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reached an agreement recently which has resulted in Pakistan agreeing to face their archrivals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the ODI World Cup 2023.
Dainik Jagran reported that the Asia Cup 2023 issues, in which India refused to tour Pakistan, the tournament's hosts, and then rejected the hybrid format proposed by PCB president Najam Sethi, had previously prompted the Pakistan board to threaten to boycott the ODI World Cup and/or not play in Ahmedabad.
A compromise was achieved after discussions and negotiations between the BCCI and the PCB. This choice comes after the BCCI approved the PCB's suggestion for a hybrid model for the Asia Cup 2023.
The first four games of the tournament's primary phase would be held in Lahore, Pakistan, as per the PCB's hybrid model. The following phase, which includes contests against India and the final for the championship, will be held in Sri Lanka.
To allay these worries, ICC representatives—including Chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice—flew to Lahore and met with PCB representatives to secure a commitment that the Pakistani team would go to India for the 2023 World Cup.
It was only after this assurance from Pakistan, did the BCCI decide to accept the PCB's proposed hybrid model for Asia Cup.
And now the India-Pakistan World Cup match will take place in Ahmedabad.
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The BCCI's decision to choose Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium as the venue for this high-intensity game is driven by the anticipation of a large number of international fans traveling to India for the event. With a seating capacity of up to 100,000 spectators, the Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in the country.
The report further suggested that Pakistan will play the majority of its World Cup matches in Chennai and Hyderabad.
The BCCI has already sent the World Cup schedule to the ICC, and it is expected to be released by Wednesday.
(Dainik Jagran/Cricket Pakistan inputs)
