Pakistan to prefer Chennai, Kolkata as venues for World Cup matches

The Pakistan cricket team would prefer to play majority of their matches during the 2023 ODI World Cup in Chennai and Kolkata, reported Press Trust of India (PTI).

These two cities are where the team has previously felt safe during their tours, hence it will be the preferred options for the Men in Green, according to ICC sources.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on October 5 and will feature 46 matches, including the final, which will be played across 12 cities in India, such as Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, Rajkot, Bengaluru, Delhi, Indore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, and Dharamasala.

The report further added that there are discussions taking place at the ICC level regarding this sensitive issue, as top officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are currently in talks with a high-ranking ICC executive.

 “A lot will depend on what BCCI and the Indian government decide but given a choice, Pakistan will like to play most of its World Cup matches in Kolkata and Chennai.

“In Kolkata, Pakistan played its T20 World Cup game against India in 2016 and the players were very happy with the security. Similarly, Chennai as a venue remains memorable for Pakistan. It’s also about feeling safe at specific venues,” a source close to ICC Board, tracking developments, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Even though Ahmedabad has the highest capacity of 132,000, which would give the ICC the best chance to make maximum profits, the Narendra Modi Stadium is already scheduled to host the final. Therefore, another venue between Chennai and Kolkata may be chosen to host the India-Pakistan game.

In a recent interview this week, PCB management committee chairman, Najam Sethi, acknowledged that Pakistan fans do not want the Men in Green to play World Cup in India if India does not reciprocate by playing the Asia Cup in Pakistan.

"I know people don’t want us to go to India if India doesn’t come to Pakistan. People want us to stand our ground and not be dictated," Sethi said.