Pakistan wants another team in place of Afghanistan for ICC World Cup's warm-up match

PCB is keen on playing a non-Asian team during the warm-up match

Faizan Lakhani

June 21, 2023

Pakistan players celebrate after their 2022 ICC Twenty20 World Cup cricket tournament match between Pakistan and South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday. — AFP

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seemingly not interested in playing ICC World Cup warm-up match against Afghanistan, sources told Geo News Wednesday.

According to sources, the PCB is keen on playing a non-Asian team during the warm-up match since it would already face Afghanistan during the Asia Cup before the World Cup.

The PCB has also written a note to the International Cricket Council (ICC) in this regard.

Earlier, the PCB had also requested the ICC to change the venue of their matches against Australia and Afghanistan during this year's World Cup in India.

According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan has asked ICC to swap venues of the aforementioned matches since it would make them "favourites." The tentative schedule has them playing Australia in Bengaluru and Afghanistan in Chennai.

"Australia in Bengaluru and Afghanistan in Chennai are the two which we should look to get changed as much as possible," the PCB's internal note said. "Ideally, we can switch these around. Australia in Chennai and Afghanistan in Bengaluru would make us obvious favourites in both matches."

The PCB wants to change the venue for all but three of Pakistan's matches, including the fixture against India on October 15.

"India in Ahmedabad will be advantageous to them, but I doubt that's going to change considering what that venue means for the BCCI and what this match means for the World Cup," the note added.

"Lucknow would also be a good ground for us considering the overall numbers there. Delhi against most teams would be good for us too. If there is a third change we can make it to get the England game to Lucknow or Chennai."

The report added that the official schedule of the ICC Cricket World Cup could be announced on June 27, which will be 100 days before the scheduled start on October 5.