The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is unlikely to agree if Pakistan prefer to play at a venue of their choice during the World Cup in India.
The tentative dates for the quadrennial showpiece event has been decided from October 5 to November 19. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to announce the fixtures for the 10-team tournament in the next couple of months.
Sources in the ICC denied that they have received any request from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to slot their matches in Calcutta or Chennai. India have already dismissed reports that Pakistan would play at a neutral venue.
A PCB spokesman too rubbished such talk. “The PCB has not discussed/spoken with the ICC regarding its venues for the World Cup,” he told The Telegraph.
It is understood that Delhi is being considered as a potential base for the Pakistan team and has been discussed within the Board. That doesn’t mean they will play all their matches at the Kotla as each of the 12 venues will get to host at least four games.
While Ahmedabad will host the final, the other shortlisted venues comprise Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Dharamsala, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Indore, Rajkot, Mumbai and Calcutta. In all, the tournament will have 48 matches, including three knockouts — the two semi-finals and the final.
“Delhi being the capital is used to hosting high-profile guests and handling adequate security arrangements. The Pakistan team has previously stayed in Delhi without any problems. Moreover, its proximity to the Wagah border would allow their supporters to watch the matches,” a source told The Telegraph on Tuesday.
There has been no talk about the venue for the India-Pakistan marquee clash but it is unlikely that Eden Gardens will be preferred since it is not a “favoured venue” for the powers-that-be in the BCCI. Chennai or Delhi could enjoy an advantage in such a scenario.
Since Ahmedabad and Mumbai (one of the semi-finals) will host a knockout match each, they are unlikely to get the big-ticket India-Pakistan clash. If Eden Gardens doesn’t host one of the knockouts, it is likely to get a key India match.
In 2011, the last time when India had hosted the 50-over World Cup, the two teams met in the semi-final in Mohali. Eden Gardens had hosted their last meeting on Indian soil in 2016, when the T20 World Cup clash was moved out of Dharamsala because of security concerns.
Usually the ICC announces World Cup schedules at least a year in advance, but this time it has been delayed because of two issues: visa clearance for the Pakistan team and tax exemption for the tournament. The BCCI is learnt to have told the ICC at a board meeting last month that visas won’t be an issue for the squad.