ICC: 2023 World Cup fixtures to be released 'as soon as we possibly can'
Fixtures unknown even four months before, though dates for previous two World Cups were announced more than a year in advance
ESPNcricinfo staff
08-Jun-2023
Four months out from the 2023 World Cup, and fans don't know the fixtures yet • Peter Summers/Getty Images
The ICC intends to publish a full schedule for the men's 2023 ODI World Cup "as soon as we possibly can," according to their chief executive, Geoff Allardice. The tournament hosted by India is expected to start in four months' time, with venues and fixtures still unconfirmed.
The schedule for the 2019 ODI World Cup in England and Wales was released on April 26, 2018, 13 months before the opening game, while the schedule for the 2015 tournament in Australia and New Zealand was released on July 30, 2013 - a full 18 months before the first match.
The fixtures for this year's World Cup, however, remain unknown. ESPNcricinfo reported in March that the tournament is expected to run from October 5 to November 19, but the ICC has not publicly confirmed any dates.
Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, had recently said that the schedule would be unveiled during the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval, but Allardice did not commit to that timeline during an interview on the BBC's Test Match Special; and ESPNcricinfo understands the fixtures may not be made public until next week.
"I think even today (Wednesday) we might be receiving the schedule from the hosts, and we've just got a bit of consultation to do with all the participating teams and the broadcasters. Then we'll be publishing that as soon as we possibly can," Allardice said. "When we put on events, we very much work hand in hand with the hosts.
"And in some places, there's a lot of consultation that needs to take place, both within the cricket system and with governments, etc. There's a lot of responsibility on a host to deliver a good event, and they've got to go through the right checks and balances."
Allardice was asked whether Pakistan's willingness to play in India had any bearing on the apparent delay in the fixtures being announced, but he declined to elaborate.
"Until I see the schedule… I'm waiting, and I'm hoping that I'll see something in the next day or two on that," he said. "Our events team is very experienced at putting on cricket events in all different countries, and you control what you control.
"And I think that's the approach that our team is taking, and they're working on the things that they can progress for the event. The moment we have that information, we'll be pushing on it at a rate of knots."