Which team will play World Cup in India instead of Pakistan if PCB continues inane demand?

The schedule for the 2023 ODI World Cup has been announced, but there is still no clarity on whether Pakistan's cricket team will travel to India to participate in the tournament. India and Pakistan have not played any bilateral cricket series in recent years due to their strained relations. India refused to travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup, so some of those matches were moved to Sri Lanka. In response, Pakistan said that it would not send its team to India for the ICC ODI World Cup.

3 things you need to know

• The last time Pakistan played in India was in 2016 in the T20 World Cup
• The India-Pakistan rivalry is one of the most intense in cricket
• Pakistan have not yet won a single game against India in ODI World Cup

Also Read: Pakistan Legend Slams PCB On Illogical Decisions Before ODI World Cup In India | EXCLUSIVE

Which team will qualify if Pakistan refuses to participate in World Cup 2023?

(Babar Azam and Imam ul Haq during PAK vs NZ in May 2023 / Image: PCB)

Soon after the schedule was announced, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) again said that its participation in the ODI World Cup will be subject to government clearance. The PCB official mentioned their ability to play in Ahmedabad on October 15, or in Mumbai if they qualify for the semi-finals, is dependent on receiving approval from the government. The highly-anticipated World Cup game between India and Pakistan is slated to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat. 

While Pakistan is yet to decide on its participation, an ICC official has reportedly said that if the 'Men in Green' don't travel to India, they will be replaced by the third top team from the World Cup qualifiers. 

In that case, Scotland will qualify for the World Cup 2023 scheduled to be held in India. Scotland finished third in the Super Six stage of the CWC qualifiers behind Sri Lanka and the Netherlands. If the PCB decides to pull out of the World Cup in India, Scotland will be sent int their place. Zimbabwe also finished the Super Six stage with six points but have inferior net run rate compared to Scotland.  

Also Read: Yuvraj Singh Reveals One Big Reason Why He Thinks India May Not Win 2023 World Cup

ICC ODI World Cup 2023

The World Cup 2023 is scheduled to be held in India from October 5 to November 19. The tournament will kickstart in Ahmedabad with a match between defending champions, England and the finalist of 2019 World Cup, New Zealand. India will play their first match against Australia in Chennai on October 8. India will look to end their ICC trophy drought this year since the tournament will take place on its home soil.      

Image: Cricket World Cup