Karachi, Feb 17: A social media controversy erupted after a viral video from Karachi’s National Stadium showed that the Indian flag was missing among the participating nations’ flags ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan from February 19.
The video has sparked a heated debate, with critics accusing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of deliberately omitting India’s flag due to ongoing tensions and India’s refusal to play its matches in Pakistan.
PCB Denies Allegations, Cites Match Venues
Responding to the controversy, PCB downplayed the issue, clarifying that only flags of teams playing in Pakistan were hoisted at the stadiums.
“As you know, India is not playing in Pakistan during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi have hoisted flags of teams playing at these venues,” a PCB source told IANS.
The official further stated that Bangladesh’s flag was also missing since their team had not yet arrived in Pakistan and would play its first match against India in Dubai.
Hybrid Model & Political Tensions
Due to security concerns and political tensions, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send its team to Pakistan. As a result, the ICC implemented a hybrid model, where all of India’s matches will be played in Dubai.
The source emphasized that Pakistan is committed to hosting the Champions Trophy successfully, adding that banners featuring captains of all participating teams, including India, have been placed across Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
Champions Trophy Returns After Eight Years
The ICC Champions Trophy is making a comeback after eight years, with Pakistan as the defending champions. This marks the first ICC event hosted by Pakistan since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup.
With the tournament set to begin, the controversy over the missing Indian flag continues to spark debate, raising questions about the impact of political tensions on international cricket.
Stay tuned for further updates on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
