A social media post has triggered a fresh controversy after it showed flags of all participating ICC Champions Trophy nations, except India, were hoisted at Karachi’s National Stadium recently.
The Indian team will not travel to Pakistan to play in the tournament which will mark a return of an ICC event to the South Asian country after a gap of nearly 30 years.
Pakistan co-hosted the ICC World Cup in 1996.
India will play its matches in Dubai.
Sharing the video of the stadium where no Indian flag could be seen, an X user named Arsalan said: “No Indian flag in Karachi: As only the Indian team faced security issues in Pakistan and refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, the PCB removed the Indian flag from the Karachi stadium while keeping the flags of the other guest playing nations.”
Several social media users expressed their unhappiness over not hosting the Indian flag in the Pakistani stadium.
One of the X users wrote: “If Pak does not consider India a participant, India should withdraw its team forthwith.”
Another wrote: “Whichever country is participating, their flag should be raised. Doesn’t matter if the game is played in Pakistan or Dubai. PCB should apologize. Sports have nothing to do with any color or religion.”
Another user said: “BCCI should withdraw Indian team and ask ICC to instruct PCB to apologise.”
The Champions Trophy is returning to the ICC calendar after a gap of eight years.
The last edition of the tournament was hosted in 2017.
Pakistan had defeated India to lift the trophy.
International teams were not flying to Pakistan to play a tournament citing security concerns for several years after the convoy of the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked by gunmen in 2009.
At least seven players were wounded and eight people died in the attack.
India did not play any bilateral series against Pakistan amid a deteriorated bond between the neighbours.
The Men in Blue have only contested against Pakistan in ICC events in neutral venues.
India last played Pakistan in the ICC T20 World match in 2024 in New York.
