The stage was set at the iconic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad as cricketing giants India and Pakistan faced off in the ODI World Cup 2023 on Saturday (October 15). The match did not disappoint, with the Men in Blue securing their eighth World Cup victory against their arch-rivals, Pakistan.
Although many Indian fans were happy with India’s great performance, Pakistan Team Director Micky Arthur‘s controversial remark after Pakistan’s loss didn’t go down well with many Indian supporters.
Micky Arthur’s controversial remark
As the dust settled on this intense showdown, Micky came up with a weird post-match comment that raised eyebrows. He voiced his disappointment with the match’s arrangements and the atmosphere, suggesting that it resembled a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) event more than an International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament. He also pointed out the notable absence of Pakistan’s beloved anthem, ‘Dil Dil Pakistan.’
“Look, I’d be lying if I said it did not affect us. 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. 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 players tonight,” said Arthur
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Aakash Chopra’s blunt and candid rebuttal
The cricketing world was soon abuzz with reactions to Arthur’s ‘BCCI event’ remark. One prominent voice in this chorus was Aakash Chopra, a renowned cricket commentator and former Indian cricketer.
Aakash took to Twitter to respond to Arthur’s comments, highlighting the spirited and often unpredictable nature of crowd support in cricket. He cited an example where the crowd in Hyderabad passionately cheered for Pakistan during a match against Sri Lanka.
“DJ wale babu mera gana baja do…I mean seriously???? Did we hear Sri Lanka complain about the fact that the Hyderabad crowd was chanting ‘Pakistan Jeetega’?? I’ll be genuinely surprised if the DJ at Narendra Modi Stadium played ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ even once today,” wrote Aakash.
DJ wale babu mera gana baja do…I mean seriously????
Did we hear Sri Lanka complain about the fact that the Hyderabad crowd was chanting ‘Pakistan Jeetega’??
I’ll be genuinely surprised if the DJ at Narendra Modi Stadium played ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ even once today. https://t.co/Nt6yM8Otme
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 14, 2023
