LAHORE        -       The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is keen on ensuring that the Men in Green’s ICC World Cup 2023 matches are held in Chennai and Kolkata, according to Press Trust of India.

The World Cup is likely to start on October 5, with 46 matches set to be held across 12 Indian cities, including Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, Rajkot, Bengaluru, Delhi, Indore, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Dharamasala. “A lot will depend on what BCCI and the Indian government decide but given a choice, Pakistan will like to play most of its World Cup matches in Kolkata and Chennai,” a source close to ICC Board told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

“In Kolkata, Pakistan played its T20 World Cup game against India in 2016 and the players were very happy with the security. Similarly, Chennai as a venue remains memorable for Pakistan. It’s also about feeling safe at specific venues,” the source added. Six months out from the likely start of the Cricket World Cup in India, the match schedule for the tournament is still under wraps as geopolitics cloud the buildup to the showpiece event. The delay is in stark contrast to the 2019 event, when the dates and venues for the tournament in England and Wales were announced more than a year out in keeping with usual practice for major sporting events.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has previously co-hosted three ODI World Cups and organising the 10-team event in October-November should present no major difficulties for the world’s richest board. However, soured political relations between India and Pakistan, who play each other only in multi-team events, have complicated matters. India have ruled out travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September and are likely to play their matches at a neutral venue after organisers agreed on a ‘hybrid’ model — a move that looks likely to prompt a titfor-tat response.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) denied media reports that it had made a similar demand at the ICC board meetings in Dubai last month but in a statement last week said it may push for the hybrid model “at the proper ICC forum at the right time”. Should Pakistan agree to travel to India, the BCCI would have to secure visa clearance from the Indian government. A source with direct knowledge of the deliberations told Reuters that moving matches out of India had not even been discussed and the fixtures would be announced in “due course”.