For the first time in seven years, India will host Pakistan’s cricket team for the 50-over World Cup, the International Cricket Council announced on Tuesday.
Holders England and New Zealand will face off in the tournament’s opening match on October 5 at Ahmedabad’s largest cricket stadium, which will also serve as the site of the championship game.
After several weeks of delay brought on by Pakistan’s refusal to visit India, the schedule was finally released, but only after Pakistan agreed to host the Asia Cup in September under a hybrid format.
After the hosts begin their campaign against Australia on October 8, the most anticipated match between rivals India and Pakistan will be contested there on October 15.
The top four teams go to the knockout stage and semifinals in a round-robin style, according to the ICC, which released a statement 100 days before the competition started.
PCB still uncertain of participation
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Islamabad would need to give their team permission before they could compete.
Samiul Hasan, the director of communications at PCB, said, “We are coordinating with our government for guidance.
This stance is in line with what we told the ICC when they shared the draught timetable with us and asked for our input a few weeks ago, he added.
Due to long-standing political difficulties, India and Pakistan only play cricket against one other in international tournaments, usually at neutral grounds, most notably last year during the T20 World Cup in Australia.
As a result, each game between the South Asian neighbours ranks among the most watched on the international sporting calendar, and any victory is exploited to bolster nationalism at home.
When they do play, cricket fans from all around the world are captivated to their TV screens, providing broadcasters with a multi-billion dollar windfall.
273 million people watched the India vs. Pakistan 50-over World Cup match in 2019.
Since 2012, India and Pakistan have not played one another in a bilateral series on either nation’s territory.
Additionally, they haven’t faced off in a Test match since 2007, instead only competing in the shorter games.
Pakistan will travel to India for the first time since the T20 World Cup in 2016 for this year’s World Cup.
