The Board of Control for Cricket in India has asked all the 10 state associations who are hosting 2023 ODI World Cup matches to “voluntarily forgo their turn to host an ODI during the bilateral international season.”
The BCCI’s decision came to light following a letter (TOI has a copy) by the BCCI secretary Jay Shah to the state associations on June 28, in which Shah has informed that he made a request in this regard to these associations in a meeting here on June 26, a day before the 2023 World Cup schedule was announced.
Shah then mentioned that his request was agreed upon “unanimously” by all the concerned state units.
After the International Cricket Council announced the venues of the tournament on June 27, quite a few state units, who were excluded from the list of 12 venues (10 venues to stage main tournament games, 2 venues to stage warm-up matches) staging the 2023 ODI World Cup – which will be held from October 5-November 19 -expressed their “disappointment” at missing out on staging matches of the marquee ICC event.
Mohali, which staged the 1996 and 2011 World Cup semifinals, Nagpur, Rajkot, Indore, Ranchi Vizag, Raipur and Cuttack were all excluded from the list of venues staging 2023 World Cup matches, but can now hope to get more bilateral matches in the upcoming India season.
Post the Asia Cup, Australia are supposed to visit India for a three-match ODI series in September, followed by maybe even Afghanistan. After the World Cup, India will play a five-match T20I series against Australia at home. In January-February 2025, England are slated to play a five-Test series in India. Later in the year, Bangladesh (2) and New Zealand (3) will play five Tests in India.
