The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is contemplating reaching out to the ICC due to their disappointment with the crowd’s behaviour at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium during the India-Pakistan 2023 ODI World Cup match that took place on Saturday. The stadium was full for the high-profile match, which India won easily by seven wickets. The majority of fans in attendance were Indian because Pakistani fans were unable to obtain visas for the event.
The large crowd made their presence known from the start, particularly by loudly jeering when Babar Azam was at the toss. In addition, the crowd repeatedly chanted religious phrases, and after Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah in the first innings, he faced disrespectful comments and online harassment from some members of the audience.
As reported by The Telegraph, the PCB is unhappy with the treatment their players received during the match. Currently, the matter is under review by senior officials on the other side of the border, and a final decision will only be made once PCB President Zaka Ashraf arrives in Lahore on Monday.
Up to this point, the Pakistani cricket team, often referred to as the “Men in Green,” had their warm-up matches and group-stage games in Hyderabad, where they enjoyed the backing of a supportive crowd. They achieved back-to-back victories at this venue, including a historic run chase of 345 runs against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan coaches were unhappy about the lack of their team’s fans in the India-Pakistan match
Coaching staff members, Grant Bradburn and Mickey Arthur raised concerns about the absence of fans from the opposing team during the match. Mickey Arthur pointed out that the event felt more like a bilateral series rather than an ICC event. These remarks stirred controversy and faced significant online criticism.
“It didn’t seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn’t hear ‘dil dil Pakistan’ coming through the microphones too often tonight,” he said during the post-match press conference.
Bradburn agreed with his colleague, sharing the belief that the match didn’t feel like a World Cup game.
“They would love to be here and I am sure Indian cricket fans would love our supporters here as well. It was certainly unusual in that way. So it did not feel like a World Cup game, honestly,” he said.
Pakistan’s next match is set to be against Australia at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium this coming Friday.
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