Pakistan vs New Zealand warm-up: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced that the warm-up match of the Cricket World Cup 2023 between Pakistan and New Zealand, originally scheduled for September 29, will be held without spectators at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
This decision was made in consultation with local security authorities due to concerns related to coinciding festivals on the same day. The BCCI has also assured that individuals who purchased tickets for the match will receive a full refund.
It is worth noting that the Hyderabad Cricket Association had expressed apprehensions after receiving advice from local security agencies regarding the potential for large gatherings in the city due to the Ganesh Visarjan and Milan-Un-Nabi festivals, both concluding on September 28.
The BCCI released an official statement, saying, “The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 warm-up match between New Zealand and Pakistan, initially scheduled for September 29 in Hyderabad, will now be played behind closed doors, as advised by local security agencies. The decision was influenced by the presence of significant festivals in Hyderabad on the same day, which are expected to draw large crowds. Ticket holders for this game will be issued full refunds.”
The Pakistan cricket team is scheduled to arrive in Hyderabad via Dubai on Wednesday, September 27. Pakistan will engage in a warm-up match against New Zealand on September 29 and another against Australia on October 3, both in Hyderabad. Furthermore, Pakistan is set to kick off their World Cup campaign with a match against the Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6, followed by a second group stage match against Sri Lanka on October 10. This will result in a two-week stay in Hyderabad before they proceed to Ahmedabad for their crucial group stage encounter against India on October 14.
Notably, the issuance of visas for the Pakistan cricket team’s travel to India is expected to take place on Tuesday, after which the team will depart for Dubai during the early hours of Wednesday. An initially planned team-bonding camp in Dubai had to be canceled, as the visas were approved only on Monday.
