The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shown a lack of interest in playing an ICC 2023 World Cup warm-up match against Afghanistan, according to recent reports. Citing sources from Geo News, the PCB aims to face a non-Asian side in the warm-up game, as they are already scheduled to play Afghanistan in the Asia Cup prior to the ODI World Cup.
To address this matter, the PCB has taken steps by sending a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC). Additionally, as the 2023 World Cup is set to take place in India, the PCB has also requested the ICC to modify the locations of their matches against Australia and Afghanistan.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan has expressed the desire for the ICC to switch the venues of the aforementioned matches, as such changes would make them “favourites” in both encounters. The provisional schedule currently places Pakistan against Australia in Bengaluru and Afghanistan in Chennai.
The internal letter from the PCB states, “Australia in Bengaluru and Afghanistan in Chennai are the two we should look to get changed as much as possible.” The ideal scenario, according to the PCB, would be to switch the venues, resulting in Pakistan playing Australia in Chennai and facing Afghanistan in Bengaluru.
The PCB has indicated that apart from the match against India on October 15, almost all of Pakistan’s games are subject to potential alterations. The note also highlights that the location advantage for India in Ahmedabad may change, given the significance of the match for both the BCCI and the World Cup. Additionally, the PCB suggests that Lucknow would be a favorable ground for Pakistan, considering the overall numbers there. Delhi is also deemed as a good venue for Pakistan against most teams. If a third change is feasible, the PCB suggests moving the England game to either Lucknow or Chennai.
