ODI World Cup 2023
Pakistan Cricket Board left red-faced after Apex Cricket Body’s decision on the alleged crowd behavior complaint
Pakistan Cricket Board had lodged a formal complaint to Cricket’s Apex Body. The bone of contention was the crowd behaviour on Saturday during the India versus Pakistan game in Ahmedabad. The high-voltage clash of the ODI World Cup 2023 saw India come out on top by seven wickets.
After the massive loss, the PCB Chief Zaka Ashraf flew back home on Monday and convened a meeting with his team. The decision was to lodge a formal protest with the powers to be against the crowd’s behaviour.
Cricket’s Apex Body though has put a cold water on Pakistan’s hopes with their reply on Wednesday. This now has left the Pakistani Cricket Board red-faced as they had to deal with yet another disappointment in 4 days.
Pakistan Cricket Board’s complaints fall flat –
In what is being seen as a huge disappointment, Cricket’s Apex Board has declined to look into PCB’s official complaint. Zaka Ashraf and his office had complained about the so-called aggressive behaviour of the Indian crowd.
According to a senior former member of the Indian Board and the Apex Body, this move by the PCB has left everyone perplexed. The man, without being named, said to the media, “They take every complaint very seriously but code is about individuals. I don’t know what exactly is PCB looking at but it will be very difficult to take any tangible action”
The source who did not want to be named further said, “They may identify individuals if there are charges of racism but if thousands of people are shouting a slogan, what can you do? No player was injured by any ‘missile’ hurled from the gallery. A partisan crowd is expected. That’s the pressure of elite sport,”
Some members of the Indian cricket board were flummoxed over the comments made by Mickey Arthur. The Pakistani team director had said that since the local DJ did not play DIl Dil Pakistan the team did not feel like it was a world event.
To this one Indian Cricket Board member said “There was no problem in playing ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ but in that entire match, was there any such moment where you could have played that song?”