"Seemed Like BCCI...": Pakistan Team Director On Loss Against India

The India vs Pakistan ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 was hyped up to be one of the biggest contests in the mega event. But ultimately, it was too one-sided a contest with the Indian cricket team coming out victorious by seven wickets against the Babar Azam-led side. Five Indian bowlers including Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav picked two wickets apiece as India restricted Pakistan to 191. Then, Indian batters led by Rohit Sharma ensured that the team did not face any hiccups while chasing.

The India vs Pakistan ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 match was being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and it was a sea of blue jerseys there on Saturday. After the match, Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur said that playing in a stadium where there was a partisan atmosphere gave the feel of a 'BCCI event'.

Arthur said: "Look, I'd be lying if I said it didn't. It didn't seem like an ICC event 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, however, said that the lack of support in the crowd could not be used an excuse for the team's heavy loss to India.

"So yes, that does play a role, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse because for us it was about living the moment, it was about the next ball and it was about how we were going to combat the Indian, the Indian players tonight," he added.

'Dil Dil Pakistan' is a popular song sung by famous group Vital Signs fronted by late Junaid Jamshed.

Once Arthur knew that he has opened a pandora's box by taking a dig at BCCI, he was probed further by a few foreign journalists.

Should that be allowed to happen at the World Cup? "Look I don't think I can't comment on that just yet. I don't want to get fined," Arthur said, understanding that he has clearly over-stepped the line.

When a senior BCCI official was asked, he gave a tongue-in-cheek response.

"No harm in playing Dil Dil Pakistan. But do tell us when would it be played? When Babar was bowled or Rizwan got dismissed? Or when Rohit hit Shaheen for a six. You can only play it for fans and there were no fans." 

Arthur did admit that Pakistan didn't play fearless cricket on the day.

"We were a little bit timid tonight with our overall performance. I would have liked us to really take the game on just a little bit more. It's a massive occasion, as we know, but I think we just went into our shells a little bit," Arthur said.

With PTI inputs

source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/not-icc-seemed-like-bcci-event-pakistan-team-directors-unique-response-after-loss-to-india-in-world-cup-4482033