‘Doubt that ICC will heed to this request’ – Ravichandran Ashwin shares opinion on PCB’s request for venue change ahead of World Cup

The upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 is all set to be hosted by India and is scheduled to be held between October 5 and November 23. Although the official schedule of the tournament is yet to be announced, the marquee competition is already capturing a truckload of headlines.

With a few months still left until the start of the World Cup, the ICC (International Cricket Council) still awaits confirmation from the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) for Pakistan’s participation in the tournament. The PCB recently made a bizarre request to the ICC in which they demanded venue changes for two of their matches that will be held in the World Cup.

As part of the draft schedule that came into light a few days earlier, Pakistan will be taking on Australia at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium and will face Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai a few days after that. However, without providing a reason, the PCB has requested a venue change as reports state that Pakistan want to go in as favourites in both matches. 

The same request has been deemed as bizarre by veteran Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who came forward and opined that had the PCB mentioned security reasons as the cause for the venue change, the ICC might have looked further into the request.

“Pakistan, in their request letter itself, have mentioned that conditions will favour Afghanistan in Chennai. So, by changing venues, it plays into an advantage for Pakistan. So, I highly doubt that the ICC will heed to this request. Maybe if Pakistan have given some valid security reasons, then it might be shifted.

“Another important thing. Pakistan’s interesting request to switch venues The fixture now is, Pakistan playing Australia in Bangalore and Afghanistan in Chennai. They want the venues interchanged,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. 

“Only for security reasons, ICC will consider these requests. In the 2016 T20 WC, India vs Pakistan was slated to happen in Dharamsala but for security reasons, it got shifted to Kolkata,” he added.