BCCI Clear HCA That No Further Change in ODI World Cup Schedule Possible

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has told the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) that the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 schedule will not be modified. The HCA asked the cricket board to change the schedule after local police officials expressed concerns about deploying enough staff on back-to-back match days. However, the BCCI denied the appeal since they had recently made changes to the timetable.

According to a PTI report, HCA officials met with BCCI secretary Jay Shah in Delhi, who was in town for the Asia Cup team selection conference.

"BCCI secretary Jay Shah held a meeting with HCA officials in Delhi after the Asia Cup team selection meeting (for which the secretary is convenor), and the state unit was categorically told that no changes would be entertained after a revised schedule was issued on August 9," a BCCI source said.

On Sunday, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla stated that "changes (to the schedule) were unlikely." The World Cup schedule, which was first unveiled on June 27 in Mumbai to much excitement, has undergone numerous alterations, with dates and times of as many as nine games, including the key India vs. Pakistan match, changing.

Previously, the showpiece India vs. Pakistan match, initially scheduled for October 15, was moved to October 24. The BCCI was compelled to make the move since October 15 is the first day of Navratri, when Garba evenings are held across Gujarat, bringing a large crowd.

The rescheduling of the IND-PAK match required the ICC to make a few more modifications to the schedule.

Because of this scheduling change, Pakistan's game versus Sri Lanka in Hyderabad was moved from October 11 to October 10. On October 9, Hyderabad hosted the Netherlands' game versus New Zealand.

As a result, local police officials requested at least a day's break between the two games.

However, doing so would have necessitated scheduling the New Zealand-Netherlands game on October 8. It would have put a lot of strain on the teams, and neither country would have accepted.

New Zealand will play England in the first game on October 5 in Ahmedabad, and the following day will fly to Hyderabad, where they will receive only one training session (on October 7).

The Netherlands begin their campaign against Pakistan on October 6 in Hyderabad, and the extra day meant that they would rest on October 7 before playing again the next day.