India-Pakistan tie among Cricket World Cup matches set to be rescheduled 

Former India's captain Virat Kohli, right, and his Pakistani skipper Babar Azam arrive on the field for toss before the start of the ICC men’s Twenty20 World Cup cricket match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on October 24, 2021. (AFP/File)
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Updated 28 July 2023
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India-Pakistan tie among Cricket World Cup matches set to be rescheduled 

  • World Cup schedules are usually announced a year before the start of the event 
  • But the fixtures for the mega tournament in India were unveiled only last month 

NEW DELHI: Barely three months to go before the start of the 50-overs World Cup, the organizing Indian cricket board has said the schedule would be adjusted and an Oct. 15 India v Pakistan humdinger in Ahmedabad could be among matches affected. 

World Cup schedules are usually announced a year before the start of the event but the fixtures for the tournament in India, scheduled from Oct. 5, were unveiled only last month. 

The inordinate delay has inconvenienced fans who plan to travel to India for the tournament and Indian board secretary Jay Shah confirmed even the schedule announced last month is not final. 

“Two or three boards have written in, asking to change based on the logistical challenges,” Shah told reporters on Thursday. 

“There are some matches where there is only a two-day gap, so it will be difficult to play and then travel next day.” 

“We are working out with the ICC, and we should be able to clear it in two or three days,” he said, referring to the governing International Cricket Council. 

The organizers have not announced when and where fans can buy tickets from and an ICC spokesperson said it would be BCCI’s call. 

Media reported that the much-anticipated India v Pakistan tie would be brought forward by a day as adequate police security may not be possible on Oct. 15, which marks the beginning of a Hindu festival. 

India and Pakistan have been implacable rivals since they emerged as independent countries at the end of British colonial rule in 1947, fighting three wars since then and still rattling sabres at each other when tensions rise. 

Pakistan have said they would require government permission to travel to India for the World Cup though the ICC is hopeful of their participation. 

The bitter neighbors have played each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues over the past decade. 


Pakistan PM condoles death of Saudi Prince Mishaal bin Badr’s mother

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Pakistan PM condoles death of Saudi Prince Mishaal bin Badr’s mother

  • Saudi prince’s mother passed away on Saturday, drawing condolences from Pakistan, Qatar, other states
  • Pakistan, Saudi Arabia who enjoy close cooperation in defense, economic, trade, investment and other sectors

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed his condolences to the Saudi royal family over the recent passing of Prince Mishaal bin Badr bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. 

The Saudi Royal Court announced the death of Prince Mishaal bin Badr’s mother on Saturday. Her funeral prayers were held a day later, at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in Riyadh after Asr prayers. 

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family on the passing of the mother of Prince Mishaal bin Badr bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X. 

He prayed for the highest rank in paradise for the departed and hoped the royal family would be able to bear the loss with fortitude. 

“Our prayers are with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and the entire Royal Family in this moment of profound grief,” Sharif added. 

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are close allies that cooperate in several sectors such as defense, trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, mines and minerals and others. The two countries signed a landmark defense pact in September, according to which both agreed to treat an attack on one country as an attack against both of them. 

Apart from being a vital trade ally, Saudi Arabia also serves as the top source for foreign remittances for Pakistan, where over 2 million expatriates reside.