4 times ICC made changes to a mega event's schedule
The International Cricket Council (ICC) looks after all the major cricket tournaments in the world. The international cricket governing body has the responsibility of organizing tournaments like the World Cup, the World Test Championship and the Champions Trophy. It also oversees bilateral cricket and sanctions T20 leagues around the globe.
While the ICC tries its best to create the best experience for the fans and the players, at times, there have been shortcomings in their efforts. Due to improper planning or unforeseen circumstances, the International Cricket Council has been forced to make some changes to a few grand events.
Here's a list of four such instances.
#1 ICC is set to make changes to 2023 World Cup schedule
The International Cricket Council will conduct the ODI World Cup later this year in India. Less than two months remain for the mega event, but the board is yet to announce the final schedule and the ticket details.
The biggest change to happen in the original schedule is the date of the India vs Pakistan match. Due to clash with Navratri festival in Gujarat, the local police asked the organizers to move the date of the mega clash from October 15 to 14. Even Kolkata Police has asked the board to change the date for the November 12 match between Pakistan and England due to Kali Puja.
#2 ICC changed the venue of India vs Pakistan match in T20 World Cup 2016
The India vs Pakistan match of T20 World Cup 2016 was originally supposed to be held at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on March 19.
Just 10 days before the game, the board changed the venue to Kolkata's Eden Gardens. Speaking about the reason behind the last-minute change, the-then ICC CEO Dave Richardson told reporters:
"The decision to relocate the match has been made for security reasons. The concerns initially arose following alleged public comments recently reported by the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, warning of demonstration and attempts to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the match."
The India vs Pakistan match was held in Kolkata on March 19, where the Men in Blue recorded a convincing victory.
#3 ICC strips Pakistan of World Cup 2011's hosting rights
In case you didn't know, the 2011 edition of the World Cup was supposed to take place in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. However, the international cricket governing body removed Pakistan as one of the hosts due to safety reasons.
The Pakistan Cricket Board was utterly disappointed with the ICC's decision. After Pakistan won the T20 World Cup 2009, they made a strong appeal to the board. However, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh eventually hosted the mega event in 2011.
#4 Swap of hosts for recent T20 World Cups
The T20 World Cup 2020 was supposed to be held in Australia, whereas India was supposed to host T20 World Cup 2021. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the International Cricket Council had to make a lot of changes.
The 2020 edition of the mega event was postponed to 2022, with Australia hosting the tournament. India allotted the 2021 T20 World Cup hosting rights to UAE and Oman because of monsoon season in the country.