Pakistan: The schedule for the 2023 ODI World Cup was announced on Wednesday, with the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan taking place on October 15 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The ODI World Cup marks Pakistan cricket team's return on Indian soil for the first time since 2016; a Shahid Afridi-led side had toured the country for the T20 World Cup. Both sides meet exclusively in ICC tournaments for the past many years due to political tensions between the two nations.
As a result, there have been rumours that the Pakistan Cricket Board has voiced strong resistance to the tournament's match locations. For the games against Afghanistan and Australia, the Najam Sethi-led PCB wanted to switch the locations; they preferred to play Australia in Chennai and Afghanistan in Bengaluru. The request was turned down, though.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper and batsman Kamran Akmal has responded angrily to the board after the ICC denied his request to switch the venue.
According to Akmal, the board shouldn't make such requests because they lower player morale.
“Conditions, venues shouldn't be a concern for teams anymore. These things shouldn't happen in international cricket. Today, India beat Australia, South Africa, New Zealand on their own turf. We shouldn't be making excuses like why we are playing against Afghanistan in Chennai, or India in Ahmedabad. Your focus should be on cricket only,” Akmal said
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“It's my request to board members, stop doing making such low-standard requests. The level of international cricket has advanced now. Players should be proud of their achievements, they should know what the fans and the board expect from them. You shouldn't say such things and instead pull down the level of your cricket,” Akmal further said.
On October 6, Pakistan will face Qualifier 1 (from the ongoing ICC World Cup qualifiers) to start their World Cup 2023 campaign. They will perform in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and five more cities throughout the nation.
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