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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly sought an explanation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) after a surprising technical error led to India’s national anthem being played momentarily before the Australia-England Champions Trophy 2025 match on Saturday.
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Unexpected Anthem Blunder Shocks Fans
As the Australia and England teams lined up for their respective national anthems, a brief portion of the Indian national anthem was mistakenly played before being abruptly cut off. The unexpected incident left fans stunned, and the PCB wasted no time in demanding clarity from the tournament’s governing body.
PCB Raises Tough Questions
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the PCB has formally written to the ICC, asking how India’s anthem was mistakenly included in the playlist, especially when India is not playing in Pakistan.
“The PCB has made it clear that the ICC needs to offer some explanation as their people are responsible for the (national anthem) playlist of teams in the Champions Trophy. Since India is not playing in Pakistan, it is hard to understand how their anthem was played by mistake from the playlist,” the report stated.
ICC Under Fire for Multiple Controversies
This is the second instance in just a few days where the PCB has had to confront the ICC regarding errors that seemingly undermine Pakistan’s position as the official tournament hosts.
- During India’s match against Bangladesh in Dubai, the official broadcast graphics did not display Pakistan’s name alongside the Champions Trophy logo.
- This was in contrast to the opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi, where both the event name and “Pakistan” were visible.
- The ICC initially dismissed the issue as a technical glitch, but the PCB was not satisfied with the response.
ICC Promises Correction Ahead of India-Pakistan Clash
Following the backlash, the ICC has reportedly assured the PCB that such issues will not be repeated. This means that for the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash on Sunday in Dubai, Pakistan’s name will appear on the official tournament emblem during the broadcast.
With tensions already high ahead of the biggest match of the Champions Trophy 2025, all eyes will be on the ICC to see if they can avoid further controversies in the remainder of the tournament.
