PCB Wants To Do Security Check At ICC Cricket World Cup Venues In India Before Pakistan Gets Government's Green Signal: Report

Pakistan had asked ICC to do a security check even during 2016 T20 World Cup in India. PCB even got BCCI and ICC to shift the match from Dharamsala to Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Source: Twitter

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 schedule was revealed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier this week and the hype for the India vs Pakistan has already started to build. The arch-rivals play each other on October 15 at the biggest cricket stadium in the world, the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. Unlike other 9 teams in the competition, Pakistan will play only at 5 venues across the country. Other teams get to play across 10 venues finalised for the big-ticket event.

As per a new report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are likely to send a security team to India to check the arrangements ahead of the World Cup. When that is going to happen is still not clear. Pakistan government is going to give green signal to Babar Azam and Co only after the security team has visited all the venues, it is believed. The secerity team of PCB will visit all 5 venues - Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Kolkata - and submit a report to the board, reported New Indian Express.

Pakistan, earlier, did not wish to play some matches at particular venues. They had raised the matter with the International Cricket Council (ICC) back then. It was reported that the delay in announcing the schedule happened due to the same reason. The schedule was finally revealed on June 27 with key BCCI and ICC office-bearers in attendance along with legends Virender Sehwag and Muttiah Muralitharan. 

Ex-PCB chief Najam Sethi, when he was in power, had also said that the board had written to ICC over India vs Pakistan match being played at the Narendra Modi stadium. However, that request has been turned down as in the schedule, the same venue has been alloted for this match. 

Notto forget, after months of deliberation and discussion, PCB finally agreed to not host India in Asia Cup. The Pakistan board is now half-happy with the tournament being played in a hybrid model.