'Political, security issues': PCB on India-Pakistan World Cup match in Ahmedabad

The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee, Najam Sethi, has expressed concerns over the proposed India-Pakistan match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the upcoming World Cup 2023. 

While speaking to the Indian Express, Sethi suggested that if the match had been scheduled in Chennai or Kolkata, it would have made more sense.

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“When I heard that the Pakistan match was to be in Ahmedabad, I smiled and said to myself – ‘this is one way to make sure we don’t come to India’. I mean if you’d said Chennai or Kolkata, it might have made sense,” Sethi said.

“I don’t want to go into the politics of it but certainly there seems to be a political angle to this because if there’s one city where we might have security issues, it’s Ahmedabad. And therefore, I think the less said about that, the better. It gave the impression that this was a red herring that was thrown in our way to tell us, ‘hey, we are going to play you in Ahmedabad and you watch out. You know who rules Ahmedabad,’” he added.

According to media reports, BCCI was considering holding the high-profile match in Ahmedabad due to the stadium's large capacity, which can accommodate up to 100,000 spectators. 

However, PCB expressed their concerns about playing the highly anticipated match in Ahmedabad.

It is reported that Sethi recently visited the ICC office in Dubai to express his concerns about the matter.Pakistan matches are now likely to take place in four different venues, namely - Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, all located in South

India. If the Men in Green makes it to the final of the ODI World Cup 2023, the PCB has agreed to play the final in Ahmedabad.

The schedule for the World Cup is set to be revealed after the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League through a grand launch event. The India-Pakistan match is expected to be one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the tournament, and it remains to be seen how the issue of the venue will be resolved.