The ICC is all set to announce the much-awaited World Cup schedule in Mumbai on June 27. And that itinerary will include the eagerly anticipated India-Pakistan game on 15 October in Ahmedabad. Sources in the know said that Pakistan had not mentioned any objection relating to Ahmedabad. All they had said was that the Pakistan government would have to take a final call. So the ICC can safely assume that Pakistan have no qualms about playing in Ahmedabad until their government says otherwise.
The key question that arises is how the ICC can go ahead and rubber-stamp the schedule when the Pakistan government is yet to give its team formal clearance? Secondly, is this schedule final, or could there be further changes based on political intervention?
The ICC is going ahead because the schedule is already much delayed, and it has a responsibility towards its sponsors and all other stakeholders. The World Cup is a mammoth event involving spends in the millions of dollars, and for the sponsors to be able to plan and launch their marketing campaigns, the schedule is a necessity. Other key stakeholders, including fans, travel and logistics partners also need fixed dates and venues to be able to plan for the event, which is now just three months away. It is essential that the BCCI formally notifies the state cricket associations about the games, for a lot needs to be done to successfully stage a world event. The schedule had to be announced, and the ICC and the BCCI need to do that urgently.
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But will Pakistan comply with it? Will they play India in Ahmedabad, or will the Pakistan government have a different view?
The answer isn’t a straightforward one. With Zaka Ashraf voicing his concerns over the hybrid-hosting model for the Asia Cup, it is understandable that he wants to peddle a hyper-nationalist line after taking over as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief. For him to agree to Ahmedabad is very unlikely. Rather, the expected line is that the Pakistan government will have to ratify the schedule, and there could well be that a security delegation sent to India to check on the feasibility of Ahmedabad as a venue for the marquee clash.
Whether the delegation will be a routine exercise, or whether they will come with specific government instructions is impossible to say. But it will all then depend on the report submitted by the delegation. If they find Ahmedabad problematic and suggest a shift in venue, the PCB will have to formally notify the ICC, citing government concerns. In such a scenario, the ICC will have little option but to suggest a change with time literally running out.
We have already seen this happen during the World T20 on Indian soil in 2016. In the original schedule, the India-Pakistan match was to played in Dharamsala, but the PCB security delegation red-flagged the venue and forced a shift to Kolkata, which the ICC had to do at very short notice.
The BCCI is certainly aware of these ground realities, and while it is going ahead with the announcement of the schedule, it will know that a last-minute re-allotment of two of Pakistan’s games can’t be ruled out. For example, if the Pakistan match has to be relocated to Kolkata, there could be a swap between the India-South Africa and India-Pakistan games. If it is to be moved to Chennai, that would likely involve India and Australia playing each other in Ahmedabad.
To expect Pakistan to agree to everything seems unrealistic. With the hybrid model approved, the PCB now knows that the Asia Cup problem is solved. And by saying what Ashraf has, they have already set the tone. Ashraf isn’t in the mood to see the acceptance of the hybrid model as a PCB victory. Rather, he sees it as an unfair solution. From that standpoint, for him and the PCB to agree to playing India in Ahmedabad seems unlikely. So while the schedule will indeed see light of day on June 27, we don’t yet know how many more iterations it may have to go through before the PCB, acting on their government’s advice, signs off on it.
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