The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced alterations to the dates of nine matches of the 50-over World Cup, to be played in India in October-November.
The highly anticipated contest between India and Pakistan in Ahmedabad, originally slated for October 15, has been rescheduled to the preceding day because it was clashing with the first day of the festival of Navratri.
This change has led to England’s fixture against Afghanistan in Delhi, initially set for October 14, being moved to October 15. One more England match — versus Pakistan — slated for November 12 in Kolkata has been brought forward by a day on account of Kali Puja, a major festival in the city.
Other changes in the original schedule include Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad shifted from October 12 to October 10, and the South Africa versus Australia game in Lucknow moving from October 13 to October 12.
The New Zealand-Bangladesh match in Chennai has been brought forward from October 14 to October 13. England’s encounter with Bangladesh in Dharamsala will take place as a day match on October 10, instead of being a day-night affair.