ICC promptly diverts Champions Trophy tour away from PoK cities after BCCI’s objections
The original tour schedule included cities like Skardu, Hunza and Muzaffarabad, which fall in the PoK region, a disputed territory between India and Pakistan.
Brushing aside Pakistan’s protests, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the schedule of the World Cup to be played in India across 10 venues from 5 October to 19 November, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener, the crucial India-Pakistan match on 15 October and the final.
The tournament opener will be between defending champion England and runners up New Zealand in Ahmedabad while hosts India, hoping for their third title and the second at home, will open their campaign against Australia in Chennai on 8 October.
The other venues are Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune, while Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram along with Hyderabad will be the venue for the practice matches.
ICC also overruled Pakistan’s plea of shifting the match against Afghanistan from Chennai to Bengaluru. The two warring neighbours will face each other in Chennai on 23 October.
Eight teams have qualified for the 46-day event through the Cricket World Cup Super League while the final two spots will be taken by the finalists of the World Cup Qualifier taking place in Zimbabwe.
The tournament retains the round-robin format of last time with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches. There are six day matches in the tournament, which will start at 10h30 local time. All other matches, including the knockouts, will be day-night fixtures starting at 14h00.
The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals to be played in Mumbai on 15 November and in Kolkata on 16 November. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
Commenting on the draw, India captain Rohit Sharma said he was confident that his team would live up to the expectation of the home crowds. “It’s going to be a great experience playing in the World Cup at home. India won here 12 years ago, and I know fans nationwide can’t wait for us to take the field this time.
India plays all their nine league matches at different venues including the new Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
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“This World Cup is going to be very competitive as the game has become faster and teams are playing more positively than ever before. All this augurs well for fans worldwide, promising them many thrilling moments. We look forward to preparing well and being at our best this October-November,” he added
ICC Chief Executive, Geoff Allardice said: “We are delighted to release the World Cup schedule which is always a huge occasion ahead of any global event.“ Hundreds of millions of fans around the world will be part of what we hope will be the greatest ever Men’s Cricket World Cup and we know in India the teams will enjoy a unique electric atmosphere concluding with the winners lifting the trophy in the biggest cricket stadium in the world in Ahmedabad.”
It’s a matter of great honour and pride to be hosting the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in different cities across India, showcasing the rich diversity of our country. The fervour and passion for cricket in India is unique. I am sure fans both here and abroad would be looking forward to the tournament’s return to India for the first time since 2011, when our team became the first to lift the trophy on home soil.” said BCCI Secretary Jay Shah adding “I wish all the teams the very best in their preparations and look forward to hosting what promises to be another exciting tournament.”
Eight teams have qualified for the 46-day event through the Cricket World Cup Super League while the final two spots will be taken by the finalists of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier taking place in Zimbabwe.
The tournament retains the round-robin format of last time with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches. There are six day matches in the tournament, which will start at 10h30 local time. All other matches, including the knockouts, will be day-night fixtures starting at 14h00.
The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals to be played in Mumbai on 15 November and in Kolkata on 16 November. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
India’s fixtures at World Cup (day-night matches unless indicated otherwise):
8 October – vs Australia, Chennai, 11 October – vs Afghanistan, Delhi, 15 October – vs Pakistan, Ahmedabad,19 October – Bangladesh, Pune, 22 October – vs New Zealand, Dharamsala,29 October – vs England, Lucknow,2 November – vs Qualifier 2, Mumbai,5 November – vs South Africa, Kolkata,11 November – Qualifier 1, Bengaluru
World Cup Schedule by Venues:
Ahmedabad
5 October – England vs New Zealand, 15 October – India vs Pakistan,4 November – England vs Australia,10 November – South Africa vs Afghanistan,19 November – Final
Hyderabad
6 October – Pakistan vs Qualifier 1,9 October – New Zealand vs Qualifier 1,12 October – Pakistan vs Qualifier 2
Dharamsala
7 October – Bangladesh vs Afghanistan (Day Game) 10 October – England vs Bangladesh,16 October – South Africa vs Qualifier 1,22 October – India vs New Zealand,29 October –
Australia vs New Zealand (Day Game)
Delhi
7 October – South Africa vs Qualifier 2,11 October – India vs Afghanistan,15 October – England vs Afghanistan,25 October – Australia vs Qualifier 1,6 November – Bangladesh vs
Qualifier 2
Chennai
8 October – India vs Australia,14 October – New Zealand vs Bangladesh (Day Game),18 October – New Zealand vs Afghanistan,23 October – Pakistan vs Afghanistan,27 October – Pakistan
vs South Africa
Lucknow
13 October – Australia vs South Africa,17 October – Australia vs Qualifier 2,21 October – Qualifier 1 vs Qualifier 2 (Day Game),29 October – India vs England,3 November – Qualifier 1 vs Afghanistan
Pune
19 October – India vs Bangladesh,30 October – Afghanistan vs Qualifier 2,1 November – New Zealand vs South Africa,8 November – England vs Qualifier 1,12 November – Australia vs Bangladesh (Day Game)
Bengaluru
20 October – Australia vs Pakistan,26 October – England vs Qualifier 2,4 November – New Zealand vs Pakistan (Day Game),9 November – New Zealand vs Qualifier 2,11 November – India vs Qualifier 1
Mumbai
21 October – England vs South Africa,24 October – South Africa vs Bangladesh,2 November – India vs Qualifier 2,7 November – Australia vs Afghanistan,15 November – Semifinal 1
Kolkata
28 October – Qualifier 1 vs Bangladesh,31 October – Pakistan vs Bangladesh,5 November – India vs South Africa,12 November – England vs Pakistan
16 November – Semifinal 2
Note:
If the West Indies qualify, they will be Q1 irrespective of where they finish in the Qualifiers.
If Sri Lanka qualify, they will be in Q2 irrespective of where they finish in the Qualifiers.
If Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, they will play in Kolkata.
If India qualifies for the semifinals, they will play in Mumbai unless playing against Pakistan, in which case they will play in Kolkata.
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