PCB behind ICC's decision of postponing 2023 World Cup in India for hosting PSL: Report

The upcoming T20 World Cup which was scheduled to be held in Australia later this year has been postponed to 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The T20 World Cup was supposed to be held from October 18 to November 15 in Australia but the country’s cricket board had, in May itself had expressed its inability to host the marquee event amid a second surge of COVID-19 cases.

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ICC postponed Cricket World Cup 2023 on PCB's request? Reports claim

The postponement of the T20 World Cup was pretty much expected, however, the ICC surprised the cricketing community by announcing a new window for the 2023 World Cup. The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 was postponed by a few months. It will now be held in India between October - November 2023 with the final on 26 November 2023. 

According to ICC’s Future Tour Programme (FTP) for the 2018-2023 cycle, the 2023 World Cup was originally scheduled to be played from February 9 to March 26. This is going to be the first time that the competition will be conducted completely in India. India had previously co-hosted three editions of ICC Cricket World Cup in 1987, 1996 and 2011.

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According to reports, the ICC postponed the Cricket World Cup 2023 due to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ehsan Mani's request. As reported in The News, the Cricket World Cup 2023 was postponed by a few months in order to give PCB the slot to conduct the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The report further stated that the PCB Chief pulled some strings before the ICC meeting took place and convinced the apex board to postpone the ODI World Cup to a later window that year.

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According to The News, sources told them that the international window in February-March is free for the next three years. He added that’s the window PCB had always chosen to hold the PSL. The source further revealed that the PCB chairman garnered support from various ICC Board members to ensure that there is a proper window available for the PSL on the international calendar.

The source also asserted that the PCB may not be on the brink of bankruptcy but it is going to face the crunch unless it manages substantial media and commercial rights deals. He added that the PSL has a window available for 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions means that PCB is now in a much better position to sell the rights.

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IMAGE COURTESY: ANI