Following the brief playing of the Indian national song just prior to Saturday, February 22,’s match between Australia and England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has requested clarification from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Before the game, the teams had lined up for their respective national anthems when the error happened. Without any problems, the national anthem of England was played first. However, the Indian national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana,” was played for a few seconds before it was cut off when it was time for the Australian national anthem to be sung. Soon after came the Australian anthem.
The PCB has blamed the international regulatory body for the situation, which it finds unacceptable. According to a PCB official cited by ESPNcricinfo, the ICC is in charge of creating and disseminating the national anthem playlist and is also in charge of playing it during games. The official further questioned why, given that the squad would not be playing any games in Pakistan, the Indian national anthem was on the playlist in the first place.
Additionally, it has been discovered that the national anthem was played by an event management business, most likely hired by the ICC, and that they committed the mistake.
This is not the first time PCB has expressed dissatisfaction.
Earlier in the week, the PCB was upset that the word “Pakistan” was missing from the top corner watermark indicating the tournament name and host during the broadcast of the Bangladesh vs. India match on February 20. The ICC responded that it was a technological malfunction when the PCB asked them to explain the situation as well. But not satisfied with the explanation, the PCB requested the ICC to make sure it didn’t happen again.
Speaking of the Australia vs. England game, a large crowd attended the Gaddafi Stadium. Ben Duckett’s 165 off 143 balls helped England reach a commanding 351/8. Josh Inglis, however, scored 120* off 86 balls as Australia easily chased down the mark in the end. In ICC ODI competitions, this was the most successful run chase ever.
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