The International Cricket Council (ICC) will announce the schedule for the 2023 World Cup in India on Tuesday, June 27.
As per the draft schedule shared by the ICC with the participating teams, Pakistan will begin their campaign by playing matches against two qualifying teams. In an intense match, Pakistan will face their arch-rivals India on October 15 in Ahmedabad.
It is worth mentioning that the schedule for the last two World Cups was announced more than a year in advance. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s delayed approval of the draft fixture list contributed to the delay in this year’s schedule. The PCB had requested the ICC to change the venues for their matches against Australia and Afghanistan during the World Cup.
Pakistan had asked for a venue swap since it would make them “favorites” in those matches. The tentative schedule has them playing Australia in Bengaluru and Afghanistan in Chennai.
Typically, venue changes at ICC events are only made if there is a security threat. The PCB’s internal note stated that they should try to change the venues for Australia and Afghanistan matches to increase their chances of winning.
Here is Pakistan’s tentative World Cup schedule:
- October 6: vs Qualifier in Hyderabad
- October 12: vs Qualifier in Hyderabad
- October 15: vs India in Ahmedabad
- October 20: vs Australia in Bengaluru
- October 23: vs Afghanistan in Chennai
- October 27: vs South Africa in Chennai
- October 31: vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
- November 5: vs New Zealand in Bengaluru
- November 12: vs England in Kolkata
