India vs Pakistan ICC 2023 World Cup Match Date Is Extra Special For Babar Azam. Here's Why

The dates are finally out! The ICC on Tuesday released the fixtures for the ODI World Cup 2023. India will host Pakistan's cricket team for the first time in seven years in the 50-over World Cup on October 15. The tournament will begin with holders England taking on New Zealand on October 5 at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which will also host the final.

The most-awaited clash between rivals India and Pakistan will be played in the same potentially contentious venue on October 15, after the hosts kick off their campaign against Australia a week earlier.

Interestingly, on October 15, Pakistan captain Babar Azam will celebrate his 29th birthday.

A star-studded guestlistHere's wishing #TeamPakistan skipper Babar Azam a happy birthday #T20WorldCup

The schedule was announced after weeks of delay due to Pakistan's earlier refusal to travel to India, but a compromise was reached when Pakistan agreed to host a hybrid-model Asia Cup in September.

Alla 16 ICC T20 captains celebrates Babar Azam birthday at Melbourne. Skippers turn 28 today's pic.twitter.com/txhJJMMIHi

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said their team would require clearance from Islamabad to play. "We are liaising with our government for guidance," PCB Communications Director Sami Ul Hasan said.

"This position is consistent to what we had told the ICC a couple of weeks ago when they shared with us the draft schedule and sought our feedback," he said.

However, Ahmedabad, the home city of India's Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is of concern to Muslim-majority Pakistan, who had earlier expressed reservations about playing at the 132,000-seat venue.

Ahmedabad was the centre of deadly 2002 religious riots in which at least 1,000