'Maybe if Pakistan had given a valid...': Ashwin's verdict on PCB's bizarre request to swap venues for WC games in India

The 2023 World Cup schedule is yet to officially announced. ICC still awaits the confirmation from Pakistan over their participation in the tournament slated to be held in India later this year. Amid this Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has put up a bizarre request to ICC and BCCI for a change in venue for two of their World Cup venues. With the official announcement yet to be made on the request and the World Cup schedule, veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin gave his verdict on Pakistan's request.

As part of the schedule drafted for the World Cup, which was then sent to all the participating nation, Pakistan are set to play against Australia at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on October 20 and Afghanistan three days later at Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. However, PCB has requested to swap the venues for the two matches. While there has been no reason provided by the board, reports reveal that it is down to Pakistan wanting to go in as favourites in each of the games.

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Reacting to the bizarre request, Ashwin, speaking in his YouTube channel, opined that ICC is unlikely to pay heed to the request given the nature of the reason. He rather felt that had Pakistan cited security reasons, the venues could have been swapped like it had happened in 2016 T20 World Cup when the Dharamsala encounter between India and Pakistan was shifted to Kolkata.

"Pakistan, in their request letter itself, have mentioned that conditions will favor Afghanistan in Chennai. So, by changing venues, it plays into an advantage for Pakistan. So, I highly doubt that ICC will heed to this request. Maybe if Pakistan have given some valid security reasons, then it might be shifted. Another important thing. Pakistan’s interesting request to switch venues. The fixture now is, Pakistan playing Australia in Bangalore and Afghanistan in Chennai. They want the venues interchanged.

Only for security reasons, ICC will consider these requests. In the 2016 T20 WC, India vs Pakistan was slated to happen in Dharamsala but for security reasons, it got shifted to Kolkata," he said.

ICC are expected to make the official announcement on the fixture on June 27, exactly 100 days before the start of the tournament.