HCA wants Pakistan vs New Zealand World Cup warm-up game to be rescheduled due to festival season

HCA miffed with BCCI over no official communication ahead of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) wants ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 warm-up game on September 29 between Pakistan and New Zealand to be rescheduled or reconsidered as the security agencies in the city have expressed their inability to provide adequate security due to the festival season.

Pakistan team will play both their warm-up games in Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium and their first two ICC World Cup 2023 matches against Sri Lanka and the Netherlands will be played at the same venue.

Earlier, HCA had requested BCCI to reschedule two games on October 9 and 10 owing to the security agencies and police being unable to provide security. October 10th game involves Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and the match on the 9th is between New Zealand and Netherlands.

Hyderabad Police had informed HCA that they wouldn’t be able to handle those two matches, especially with the security arrangements required for Pakistan game.

HCA miffed with BCCI for no proper communication

As per an Indian Express report, the security agencies have informed HCA that they would not be able to provide adequate security for the warm-up game on September 29 between Pakistan and New Zealand due to the festivals Ganesh Visarjan and Milan-Un-Nabi, which culminate on September 28.

Around 3,000 police personnel will be deployed for one game, and a large number of police personnel will be stationed at the hotel where Pakistan team will be put up. The police are reported to have informed HCA that they won’t be able to provide adequate security for Pakistan game in case the other game (New Zealand vs Netherlands) is played on the scheduled date.

It is learned that HCA have once again written an email to BCCI bosses about their request. HCA plea has come after BCCI-ICC (International Cricket Council) put tickets for World Cup games on sale, including for the warm-up games.

HCA officials have been having trouble persuading the local authorities, who have been demanding official letters from ICC or BCCI about the revised schedule, that there hasn't been any proper communication from the Indian board and that they haven't yet received one with it.

BCCI have already rescheduled as many as nine games, including the one between India and Pakistan, which was previously scheduled to be played on October 15 in Ahmedabad. But it coincides with the first day of Navratri festival, which is celebrated with much fervor across Gujarat.

This led to BCCI changing the date to October 14, which had a ripple effect on nine matches.