Pakistan vs New Zealand warm-up match in Hyderabad to be played behind closed doors, HCA says inadequate security available. 

The HCA had previously tried to shift the date of one match due to security concerns.

Pakistan vs New Zealand warm-up match in Hyderabad to be played behind closed doors, HCA says inadequate security available. 

The warm up match between Pakistan and New Zealand will be the only match with no spectators (Image via ESPNcricinfo)

A Board of Control for Cricket in India official has confirmed that the warm-up match between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played without any spectators. The match which will be held on the 29th of September and will be the only match to be played behind closed doors. 

Due to the match being scheduled a day after two major festivals, Ananta Chaturdashi (Ganesh Visarjan) and  Milan-un-Nabi, the Hyderabad Police said they wouldn’t be able to provide adequate security. The Police have confirmed that they would be giving security for the team’s stay and travels. 

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The BCCI official has also confirmed that the BCCI has informed their ticketing sponsor, BookmyShow, to refund all fans their money. The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium will be hosting 2 warm up matches and 3 World Cup matches, but India would not be playing any match in Hyderabad. 

Related: “They are now in a mess,” Najam Sethi takes a dig at BCCI after HCA says it can’t host back-to-back World Cup fixtures 

The BCCI has faced a few problems while preparing the schedule for the 2023 ODI World Cup

When the 2023 World Cup schedule was announced, there were plenty of issues that arose. Due to the clash with India and Pakistan falling on the same day as the Hindu festival, Navratri. The Ahmedabad Police raised security concerns and that made the BCCI shift the dates of 9 matches, which included the clash between India and Pakistan.

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The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium had undergone renovations before the start of the 2023 ODI World Cup (Image via ESPNcricinfo)

One of the changes was the match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which was being held in Pakistan. The match was shifted from 12th October to 10th October, just one day after Netherland played New Zealand in the same stadium. 

The Hyderabad police raised security concerns and the Hyderabad Cricket Association requested the BCCI to shift the date. The BCCI refused, stating that shifting the date 4-5 weeks before the start of the World Cup was not possible, and the original schedule will go the way it was planned.

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