The Director of the Pakistan cricket team, Mickey Arthur, has made comments that are causing controversy. After a big loss to India, he said at a press conference that he doesn’t remember any ICC or PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) event where he could recall such a match. At the same time, he also criticized not playing the well-known Pakistani anthem “Dil Dil Pakistan” at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
In response to questions from Indian media, a PCB official explained why the song wasn’t played during that match. First, they mentioned that the anthem is usually played when there are Pakistani supporters in the stadium, but on that day, there were very few Pakistan fans in attendance, if any.
Regarding Mickey Arthur’s comment about not recalling such a match, the official pointed out that this was a match with an intense rivalry, and it’s part of the game for the opposing team to feel the pressure. They humorously asked if they should have played the anthem when Babar Azam and Rizwan got out or when Shahin Afridi got hit for a six by Rohit Sharma.
Grant Bradburn, the head coach of the Pakistan team, also expressed regret that there weren’t many Pakistani supporters present during the match at Narendra Modi Stadium. He emphasized the desire for Pakistani fans to be there and mentioned that it would be ideal to have both Indian and Pakistani supporters at cricket matches. However, he acknowledged that the circumstances were unique and challenging.
