Key points
- Karachi’s National Stadium is displaying flags of teams that will be playing at the venue
- India will play their matches in UAE
- Pakistan hosts ICC Champions Trophy
ISLAMABAD: A social media controversy erupted after a video from Karachi’s National Stadium surfaced, showing flags of teams participating in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but missing India’s flag.
However, the online debate started dying down as the flag was raised and another video surfaced online.
The tournament, scheduled to begin on February 19, has already been marked by tensions following India’s decision to play its matches outside Pakistan.
Earlier, the absence of the Indian flag sparked criticism, with many alleging that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) deliberately omitted it as a reaction to India’s refusal to play in Pakistan. The online debate quickly gained traction.
However, PCB sources clarified that only the flags of teams competing in Pakistan were hoisted.
“India is not playing its matches in Pakistan, so its flag has not been raised at the stadiums,” a PCB official explained. “The same applies to Bangladesh, which has not yet arrived in Pakistan and will play its first match against India in Dubai.”
The official further stated that Karachi’s National Stadium, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium are displaying flags of teams that will be playing at these venues.
“This issue is being fuelled by a misleading social media video. PCB does not need to issue an official statement over baseless claims,” the source added.
Response to criticism
India’s decision not to play in Pakistan was attributed to “security concerns”, leading the International Cricket Council (ICC) to implement a hybrid model—where India will play its matches in Dubai, while other teams continue to play in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, major Pakistani cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, have been adorned with banners featuring the captains of all participating teams, including India. According to sources, the PCB has emphasised that political tensions will not affect the ICC event.
Earlier, Indian media raised doubts about Pakistan’s ability to complete stadium renovations in time for the tournament. In a January 12 report, India Today claimed:
“Pakistan are racing against time to complete the renovation of their stadiums before the Champions Trophy. If the video snippets coming out of Pakistan are anything to go by, Pakistan looks to be well behind their schedule in terms of the renovation process, just one month away from the start of the tournament.”
However, after completing the renovations in early January and successfully hosting a Tri-Nation series at the upgraded venues, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi responded to the criticism:
“We win, you lose. This is for those who claimed on social media that we could not complete the construction of this stadium. If we failed to complete this, you would have won, and we would have been unsuccessful. However, by completing this [upgradation] project, we won, and you lose now.”
First ICC event in decades
The Champions Trophy is returning after an eight-year gap, with Pakistan as the defending champion. This marks the country’s first time hosting an ICC event since co-hosting the 1996 Cricket World Cup, making it a significant moment for Pakistan cricket.
