Mickey Arthur confirms discussions on venue swap for Afghanistan WC match

Mickey Arthur, the team director for Pakistan, has confirmed that there were discussions within the team regarding the venue for their match against Afghanistan in the upcoming 2023 World Cup in India.

Last month, Cricket Pakistan reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had expressed their desire to swap venues for their matches against Afghanistan and Australia. Specifically, they requested that their match against Australia be moved to Chennai and their match against Afghanistan be relocated to Bengaluru.

The PCB's concern was rooted in the nature of the Chennai pitch, which is known to be favorable to spinners. This could potentially pose a challenge for the Pakistani team in their match against Afghanistan, who possess a strong spin-bowling lineup.

"When you have a look at sides that you want to play at certain venues, Afghanistan in Chennai is one you wouldn’t pick. It obviously suits them more compared to us, with the spin-bowling they have available," explained Arthur.

Arthur further stated that there were debates and discussions held regarding the venue swap, but the team remains confident in their ability to defeat any team on any given venue.

"We had a debate around it, but we are still comfortable that we have the ability to beat any side on any venue," he added.

However, it appears that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected the PCB's request. According to the World Cup schedule announced last week, the Pakistani team is still slated to face Australia in Bengaluru on October 20 and Afghanistan on October 23.