ICC, not PCB, responsible for the Indian National Anthem fiasco in Lahore?

The Pakistan Cricket Board, not for the first time, became the subject of utter ridicule for a fumble during the Australia vs England Champions Trophy fixture. Hosting the marquee event, Pakistan has welcomed the teams to play across three venues: the National Stadium in Karachi, the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and the Rawalpindi Stadium. In the Australia vs England fixture, the fourth match of the tournament, Gaddafi Stadium hosted its first match. However, a falter hit the proceedings early on in the match. Now that the incident has turned sensational on the internet, PCB has demanded an explanation from the ICC over the matter.

PCB demands an explanation from the ICC over the national anthem lapse

Pakistan added yet another incident to its list of blunders. As Team Australia lined up for their national anthem ahead of the match, the Gaddafi Stadium shockingly heard the Indian National Anthem for a few seconds. The few seconds of fumble were enough to turn into news, as Pakistan was ridiculed left, right, and center. India is playing all its matches in Dubai as per the hybrid model, and the lapse was highly confusing, given the match was between two entirely different teams. Now that the internet has observed a field day of making jokes at the Pakistan Cricket Board, the PCB has suggested another angle to the incident.

Contrary to anticipation, the PCB has accused the ICC of the lapse that happened at the Gaddafi Stadium. According to a recent report on the incident, the PCB has written a letter to the apex council, demanding an explanation. A common question since Saturday, it turns out the PCB is as clueless as the general audience, asking how the Indian National Anthem was played when the team is not even playing any fixture 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 source said.

Notably, the incident happened days after a controversy erupted ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Days before the commencement, the venues in Pakistan sported the flags of all the participating nations except for India. While India plays all its matches in Dubai, citing safety concerns for the players in Pakistan, the defending champions are still the host. Meanwhile, as the designated host, Pakistan was expected to showcase all eight flags, including India's. However, Pakistan was quick to rectify the situation as the Indian flag was seen at the National Stadium in Karachi during the opening fixture between Pakistan and New Zealand on 19 February.