The PCB has sought clarification from the ICC after the Indian national anthem was mistakenly played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium before the Australia-England clash. The incident occurred following the smooth rendition of the UK’s anthem, but instead of Australia’s anthem playing next, the Indian anthem began before it was quickly stopped and corrected.
Unhappy with the mishap, the PCB has placed responsibility on the ICC, arguing that, as an ICC tournament, the anthem playlist was prepared and managed by the governing body. A PCB official told ESPNcricinfo that the ICC provided the anthem playlist and was responsible for its execution. Additionally, the PCB questioned why India’s anthem was even included in the playlist, given that all of India’s matches are being held in Dubai, not Pakistan. While the ICC believes the mistake was technical, it is investigating further with its third-party supplier.
This marks the second consecutive day the PCB has raised concerns with the ICC over incidents it perceives as undermining Pakistan’s role as the official host of the Champions Trophy. A day earlier, during the India-Bangladesh match in Dubai, Pakistan’s name was missing from the official tournament logo on the broadcast. This deviation from previous games—where the name ‘Pakistan’ was visible, including during the tournament opener in Karachi—led to PCB complaints.
The ICC attributed the omission to a technical glitch, but the explanation did not fully satisfy the PCB. The ICC has since assured that such an issue will not recur, including for the much-anticipated India-Pakistan match in Dubai, where Pakistan’s name will be displayed on the official on-screen logo.
Despite the anthem controversy, the Australia-England clash delivered high drama and the tournament’s biggest crowd so far. Australia successfully chased down a record 351, defeating England by five wickets with 15 balls to spare.
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