The absence of India’s flag at Pakistan’s Gaddafi Stadium during the Champions Trophy sparked discussions on social media. In videos that circulated yesterday, it was seen that flags of seven out of the eight teams participating in the tournament were displayed, but India’s flag was missing.
This raised questions about whether the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had intentionally left out India’s flag. Today, PCB provided an explanation for the situation.
According to reports from Pakistani media, this was not a planned move by the PCB, but rather a result of instructions from the International Cricket Council (ICC). The PCB clarified that, as per the ICC’s directive, only four flags would be raised during the Champions Trophy matches: the ICC flag, the PCB flag, and the flags of the two teams participating in the match. Since India will not play any matches in Pakistan, the Indian flag will not be raised in Pakistan’s three venues: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
A PCB spokesperson stated, “The ICC has instructed that during the 2025 Champions Trophy, only four flags will be raised—the ICC, PCB, and the two teams playing on that day. This is a clear instruction.”
The Champions Trophy is set to begin tomorrow, with the opening match between host and defending champion Pakistan and New Zealand at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.
Liberty News’ sports correspondent states that, in Group A, Pakistan and New Zealand are joined by Bangladesh and India, while Group B will feature Afghanistan, Australia, England, and South Africa.
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