The ICC tournament is slated to get underway on February 19 in Karachi.
The clip shows that the Indian flag was purportedly not hoisted at the venue, triggering massive debate with many criticizing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for venting out its frustration against India for refusing to travel across the border for Champions Trophy matches.
Amid the outrage, the PCB has said that the flags of the countries playing in Pakistan have only been raised at the stadiums.
"As you know, India is not coming to Pakistan to play its matches during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025; the National Stadium in Karachi, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore have hoisted flags of countries that are going to play at the said venues," said a PCB source to IANS.
When asked why the Indian, Bangladesh and other participating countries' flags were not there at the Karachi and Lahore stadiums, the source said, "The Indian team is going to play its matches in Dubai. Secondly, the Bangladesh team has not yet arrived in Pakistan and will be playing its first match against India in Dubai. Therefore, their flags have not been hoisted and the other nations, who have arrived here and will be playing in Pakistan... their flags are there at the stadium."
The source also stated that PCB doesn’t need to release an official statement on the matter as it is related to a social media video with an ill-intended agenda.
“I don't think PCB needs to even give an official statement on this. It's clear that the controversy is made without facts and aims to damage host Pakistan's image with fake news," the source said.
“Different stadiums in Pakistan are going to host different teams during the Champions Trophy matches. And they're hoisting their flags to welcome them,” it added.
It is worth mentioning here that the BCCI refused to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns and political tensions between the two countries, forcing the ICC to adopt a hybrid model, in which India will be playing all of their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai.
The source also stated that cities in Pakistan, including Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, where the Champions Trophy matches will be held, have got banners up on the main streets and highways, showing captains of all participating nations, including India, insisting that the PCB does not have any intention to let its political rivalry impact a major ICC event in the country.
The Champion Trophy is returning after a gap of eight years, while Pakistan are getting a chance to host an ICC tournament for the first time since 1996.
(With IANS Inputs)