Former Pakistan cricketer urges PCB to stop requesting for ODI World Cup 2023 venue swap

Ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023 schedule announcement, PCB had reportedly asked to change the venues for their games against Afghanistan and Australia. The Afghanistan game will be played in Chennai. On the other hand, they were supposed to play Australia in Bengaluru. The cricket committee of the Pakistan team wanted to swap the venues to have an advantage during these games.

However, as it turned out, the Apex Council and the Indian Cricket Board, who are hosting the tournament have denied the request. Both games will be played at the originally suggested venues as it can be seen in the schedule.

Condition, venues shouldn't matter while playing the World Cup: Kamran Akmal

The former wicketkeeper batter said that his national board mustn't make excuses about wanting to play a particular game at a particular venue.

“Conditions, venues shouldn't be a concern for teams anymore. These things shouldn't happen in international cricket. Today, India beat Australia, South Africa, New Zealand on their own turf. We shouldn't be making excuses like why we are playing against Afghanistan in Chennai, or India in Ahmedabad. Your focus should be on cricket only,” Akmal said during an interview with paktv.tv.

“It's my request to board members, stop doing making such low-standard requests. The level of international cricket has advanced now. Players should be proud of their achievements, they should know what the fans and the board expect from them. You shouldn't say such things and instead pull down the level of your cricket,” Akmal further said.