ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 schedule to be unveiled during World Test Championship final
May 27, 2023
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 27 : The schedule for the 2023 World Cup will be revealed during the World Test Championship final at The Oval, according to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah. The board has compiled a list of over a dozen sites from throughout India, and the final shortlist will be shared with the ICC shortly.
Shah made these remarks at a press conference following the BCCI's special general meeting in Ahmedabad, which will host the IPL final on Sunday. While the ten-team World Cup is scheduled to take place between October 5 and November 19, the BCCI has yet to formalise the schedule, with only approximately four months till the competition begins, as per ESPNCricinfo.
Over the course of 46 days, 48 matches, including three knockout games, are scheduled to be contested. Aside from Ahmedabad, the original BCCI shortlist included Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Rajkot, Mumbai, and Trivandrum. It is understood that Nagpur and Pune are also being considered. The league matches are likely to be held in 10 cities, with two more cities hosting warm-up games before the main event.
Shah, who is also the current president of the Asian Cricket Council, stated that an emergent ACC meeting will be conducted to determine whether the PCB's hybrid format for the 2023 Asia Cup is possible.
On Sunday, Shah will meet with his counterparts from Sri Lanka Cricket, Bangladesh Cricket Board, and Afghanistan Cricket Board to discuss the Asia Cup informally.
The Asia Cup is slated for September in Pakistan, but with India reluctant to travel there, the ACC has been seeking for alternatives. The PCB recently proposed a hybrid approach for the six-team competition, with four of the 13 matches taking place in Pakistan. India, Pakistan, and Nepal are all grouped together. Meanwhile, the second group includes Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
The most difficult aspect of the hybrid approach is the travel involved. "Two or three countries sent in their views," Shah added, "which will be discussed formally at the ACC meeting in the next ten days."
In his capacity as ACC chairman, Shah stated that the Asia Cup should take place this year. Due to political difficulties between the two nations, the tournament has not been held in Pakistan or India since 2008.
