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The ongoing controversy surrounding the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has gained momentum as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally lodged a complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC). The complaint centers on visa delays of Pakistani journalists and fans and alleged inappropriate fan behaviour during the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match held on October 14 at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, in which the Indian side emerged as victors by a margin of seven wickets.
Irfan Pathan’s flashback of the Peshawar Incident
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan expressed discontent with the PCB’s approach to the ongoing issues. The all-rounder vividly recounted a distressing incident from his playing days in Peshawar while representing India, where a Pakistani spectator hurled a nail that struck him just below the eye.
“There was a match. I was performing well. Somebody from the stands three nails at me, it hit me below my eye. For 10 minutes the match was stopped. We did not make that incident into a large issue. We thought that the tour was going on so well. We only praised the hospitality. Because we knew that if our focus shifts from the match to the fans…my eye could have been damaged…I have never mentioned this anywhere before,” Irfan said while commenting on Thursday’s match between India and Bangladesh at the MCA Stadium in Pune.
Also READ: World Cup 2023 – PCB files complaint over visa delay and inappropriate conduct of Indian fans; Details inside
Irfan’s tweet to solidify his big claims
Irfan took to X (formerly Twitter) to bolster his claims regarding the horrible incident he experienced while playing in Peshawar. He shared screenshots on the platform to substantiate his account of the incident. The left-handed batter noted that while many supportive fans chanted “Balaji Zara dheere chalo” with affection during his visit, this unfortunate incident also occurred.
“I m still saying it happens. There were many good fans were there who chanted Balaji Zara dheere chalo with love before this trip. But this incident happened too. we moved on and focused on winning rather than crying abt it,” the Baroda-born cricketer mentioned in his tweet.
Also READ: World Cup 2023 – Danish Kaneria criticizes PCB on complaint against crowd at Ahmedabad
I m still saying it happens. There were many good fans were there who chanted Balaji Zara dheere chalo with love before this trip. But this incident happened too. we moved on and focused on winning rather than crying abt it. pic.twitter.com/k6rEgtrf1w
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 19, 2023
