The antagonistic environment at the Narendra Modi Stadium during the Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan, which was attended by the archrivals, disgusted former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur, who was among the coaching staff members fired by the Pakistan Cricket Board. As his squad buckled under the onslaught, Arthur noticed that the Men in Green had no backing in the enormous cricket ground.
The Pakistani team, under the leadership of Babar Azam, had to face a daunting sea of blue jerseys without any assistance from the crowd. The Pakistani side was left reeling from the overpowering conditions after witnessing a terrifying scene in the largest cricket arena in the world.
Mickey Arthur thought it was an unpleasant and antagonistic experience that would make any visiting team work hard.
“Lack of help from Pakistan was very difficult. The Pakistani team’s motivation comes primarily from the amazing support they get at the stadium and at the hotels. Arthur was cited by Wisden as saying, “Here we never had that, and that was quite tough in a World Cup, particularly for the players.”
The Narendra Modi Stadium witnessed the unfolding drama of five World Cup games, including the opening extravaganza and the grand finale. After the opening match between England and New Zealand, the Indo-Pak clash, England’s match against Australia, and South Africa’s match against Afghanistan were all lined up. The stadium’s attendance varied a lot, which is interesting to note; Rohit Sharma and Co.’s appearances brought sell-out crowds, but non-Indian fixtures had trouble filling the stands.
But Mickey Arthur said that even in Ahmedabad, where the atmosphere was tremendous, Pakistan could not play the basic game of bat and ball. Seven years after their last appearance on Indian soil, Mickey Arthur said the Green Army struggled with the game and the obvious lack of support.
It was a harsh, unfriendly environment in Ahmedabad, as you may imagine. However, this was to be expected, and our athletes deserve credit for never grumbling or complaining once. Even if they persisted and gave it their all, he continued, “it does ultimately play a role in motivation when you can’t see or hear that support base around you.”
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