WORLD CUP RESCHEDULING: A FIASCO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED

It is really difficult to comprehend how the schedule for the 2023 World Cup - the biggest cricketing event of the year - was 'finalized' in the first place when there were so many concerns over venues and logistics regarding the tournament...

- RENIN WILBEN

The 2023 ODI World Cup is just a couple of months away now. Rather shockingly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the host board of the mega International Cricket Council (ICC) event, is still in the process of sorting out the schedule and the ticketing details (at the time of writing this report). As it is, the tournament schedule announcement was delayed since some participating nations' cricket boards were allegedly not happy with the draft schedule. Eventually, after much confusion and numerous rumours, the official World Cup 2023 schedule was announced on June 27 at a ‘Countdown to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023’ event in Mumbai. Just when the schedule seemed locked in, and fans and players could look forward to the competition, out came another dampener. Reports started doing the rounds that the marquee clash of the 2023 World Cup - India vs Pakistan match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad - on October 15 was likely to be rescheduled. According to some reports, the BCCI was considering to prepone the match by one day to October 14. This has been thought of since October 15 is the first day of the Navaratri festival, and local police had expressed concern over providing security. Not long after, BCCI secretary Jay Shah admitted that changes were likely to take place in the 2023 World Cup schedule, which was originally announced since boards of several participating countries had written to the BCCI, pointing out that there were logistical challenges their teams would face and thus requested for changes. However, he did not mention changes in the schedule for the India vs Pakistan World Cup 2023 clash.

HOW WAS SCHEDULE ‘FINALIZED’ IN THE FIRST PLACE?