In the 18th match of the ODI World Cup 2023, Australia faced Pakistan at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. From the start of the first inning, Australia dominated the game and took it away from the Pakistani team. Opener David Warner and Mitchell Marsh added 259 runs for the first wicket. Both openers hammered a magnificent century and led Australia to a comfortable position.
Meanwhile, during the game, a video went viral on social media. The video was uploaded by a Pakistani fan, who claimed that they were stopped from cheering for Pakistan on the ground. In the viral video, a Pakistani fan can be seen arguing with a policeman in the stands. The policeman has allegedly stopped the fan from chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’. The Pakistani fan also asked the policeman to speak about the topic on camera, which the officer declined.
Here is the video:
It's shocking and upsetting to see that people are being stopped from cheering "Pakistan Zindabad" at the game.
This totally goes against what the sport is about!#CWC23 #PAKvsAUS #AUSvsPAK pic.twitter.com/iVnyFlNB09
— Momin Saqib (@mominsaqib) October 20, 2023
It’s worth noting that Pakistan has already claimed that the Indian Cricket Board and Indian Government are desperately trying to stop their fans and journalists from coming and watching the ongoing ODI World Cup. They have registered two complaints regarding the same with the Apex Cricket Council. However, there has been no action taken against the Indian Board.
“It felt like a bilateral series”, Mickey Arthur had alleged
After suffering a humiliating seven-wicket defeat against India on October 14, the Pakistan cricket team’s director of cricket, Mickey Arthur, has alleged that the Indian Cricket Board didn’t allow any chants in support of Pakistan. “Look, I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t seem like an ICC event tonight, to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn’t hear Dil Dil Pakistan coming through the microphones too often tonight,” Arthur had said.
It’s worth noting that Pakistan eventually made a comeback against Australia today. They stopped the mighty Aussies from crossing the 400-run mark and restricted them to 367/9 in 50 overs. Opener David Warner, in his inning, scored 163 runs off 124 balls with the help of fourteen fours and nine sixes. Meanwhile, Mitchell Marsh, in his inning, scored 121 runs off 108 balls. Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi took five wickets.
