In another twist ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023, a report suggests that the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has now approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with a request to adjust the already tweaked World Cup schedule.
The HCA's concern revolves around hosting matches on consecutive days at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Uppal. As per the present schedule, New Zealand and the Netherlands will compete on October 9, and Pakistan will face Sri Lanka on October 10. The latter was initially set for October 12 but was rescheduled to accommodate Pakistan's fixtures.
The Hyderabad Police expressed apprehensions about ensuring security for these back-to-back matches, particularly emphasizing concerns related to the Pakistan match. This brings to the forefront the challenge of providing security for two consecutive games, requiring the deployment of approximately 3,000 police personnel for a single match.
The police also highlighted their reservations about managing the security for the Pakistan match if the New Zealand vs Netherlands match proceeds as planned.
India's hosting of the World Cup, set from October 5 to November 19, has been marked by scheduling revisions. The original schedule, released merely 100 days before the tournament, has already seen nine matches being rescheduled. Notably, the eagerly anticipated India-Pakistan match was moved due to its clash with the Navratri festival in Gujarat. Similarly, the Pakistan-England fixture was shifted from November 12 to November 11, avoiding a clash with Bengal's Kali Puja.
These changes have caused a domino effect, requiring other matches to be adjusted for logistical reasons. Surprisingly, HCA's request for a change comes late in the day, and reports suggest they were caught off-guard by the revised schedule, claiming a lack of consultation from the BCCI.
With World Cup ticket sales starting on August 25 and given the recent changes to nine of the 45 league fixtures, it's uncertain if BCCI will consider another last-minute modification. Such delays and revisions can inconvenience fans, especially those traveling from abroad, as they face rising airfares and hotel rates. The ultimate impact of these changes on the overall World Cup experience remains to be seen.
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