Indian Anthem Played by Mistake in Lahore Before Australia vs England Match
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The organizers made a strange mistake, as India is not scheduled to play any Champions Trophy matches in Lahore. India had declined to travel to Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, leading to the adoption of a hybrid model. All of India’s matches will be held in Dubai. Before each match in ICC events, the national anthems of both competing teams are played after the toss, allowing the teams to shake hands and prepare for the game. This isn’t the first time the ICC has faced criticism for organizational errors during the Champions Trophy. Prior to the tournament, there was controversy over why the Indian flag wasn’t hoisted at Karachi’s National Stadium, while the flags of all other teams were displayed. This prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to provide an explanation.
Additionally, the PCB expressed dissatisfaction with the omission of “Pakistan” from the Champions Trophy broadcast branding during India’s match against Bangladesh. While other matches had the full branding, “Champions Trophy 2025 Pakistan,” the India vs Bangladesh game only showed “Champions Trophy 2025.” The PCB reached out to the ICC, requesting clarification. The ICC attributed the issue to a technical glitch by the broadcaster, UK-based Sunset & Vine, which managed the live feed graphics.
The ICC assured Pakistan that such an issue would not happen again in future broadcasts, and the full branding appeared during the England vs Australia game, as seen in Indian broadcasts.
Before the tournament even started, the ICC had already faced backlash for delays in announcing the schedule due to India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan. Pakistan had initially resisted the hybrid model, causing more uncertainty. However, after Jay Shah became ICC Chief in December 2024, the situation was resolved, with the BCCI, PCB, and ICC agreeing on the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy. This model will also be applied to future ICC events in India, such as the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2025 and the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026.
