Indian flag spotted in Karachi ahead of Champions Trophy opener days after PCB's act sparked controversy
Few days back, a controversy erupted after a video of the Gaddafi Stadium went viral, in which flags of all participating nations, except India, were showcased.
The Indian tri-colour was finally spotted at the National Stadium in Karachi on the eve of the start of the Champions Trophy, days after the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) act sparked a furore on social media. Just a few days before the ICC tournament in Pakistan started, a controversy erupted after a video of the Gaddafi Stadium went viral, in which flags of all participating nations, except India, were showcased on one of the venue's roofs.
PCB and the BCCI have been at loggerheads over the Champions Trophy for months in the build-up to the tournament after the latter confirmed to the ICC that the Indian government did not give clearance to the Rohit Sharma-led side to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. With ICC backing BCCI in the wake of the Islamabad unrest in December last year, even as PCB threatened to withdraw from the tournament, the latter was forced to adapt the hybrid model, wherein Dubai was named the neutral venue for all India matches.
With the video going viral, fans on social media speculated that PCB deliberately did not showcase India's flag as an act of retaliation over BCCI's move. However, on Tuesday, the Indian flag was placed at the National Stadium in Karachi, which will host the Champions Trophy opener between Pakistan and New Zealand on Wednesday.
What did PCB say on Indian flag controversy?
PCB ended their silence on the controversy on the same day the video went viral as they said it was an ICC directive.
"The ICC has advised that only four flags will be hoisted on Champions Trophy 2025 match days - ICC (Event Authority), PCB (Event Host) and the two sides competing on that day. Simple," a PCB official told Hindustan Times.
However, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla reckoned that the Indian flag deserved a place in the host nation.
"First, it should be confirmed that whether the Indian flag was there or not. If it wasn't there, then it should have been put. All the participant nation's flags should have been there," Rajeev Shukla told Livemint on the sidelines of the Restaurant Cricket League in Delhi on Tuesday.