Aurthr remark “Will review all criticism.” said ICC head Barclay. The India vs. Pakistan World Cup match on October 14 in Ahmedabad felt more like a “bilateral series,” according to Mickey Arthur, the director of the Pakistan squad. The ICC will examine this issue, but it is still optimistic that the tournament will be recognized as a “outstanding” one when it is over.
Following his team’s seven-wicket defeat, Arthur acknowledged that the passionate atmosphere in the crowded Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where there was hardly any Pakistani presence, had an impact on the team.
The lack of Pakistani supporters at the stadium was noticeable because none of them had been granted visas to enter the other country. Few Pakistani journalists arrived in time to cover the game, and a small proportion of fans of Pakistani descent who live in or are citizens of other.
After the game, Arthur remarked, “Look, I’d be lying if I said it did [not affect us].” To put it bluntly, it didn’t seem like an ICC event. It appeared to be a BCCI tournament and a bilateral series.”
When questioned about Arthur’s remarks, ICC chairman Greg Barclay appeared to minimize them as typical criticism in these kinds of competitions. Barclay was reported by AFP as stating, “Every event that we have, there’s always criticisms from various quarters,” while in Mumbai for the International Olympic Committee Session that decided to include T20 cricket in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“Things that we might try to work on, try to improve upon… so this is just the beginning of the event. After observing how everything transpires, we’ll leave and discuss what may be improved, what we can do better, and how to enhance cricket in general as well as World Cups.
“We’ll just see things as they unfold and finish the event. I’m confident that the World Cup will still be fantastic.”
Even though a record number of people watched the India vs. Pakistan match both locally and worldwide, the organizers have not yet released the official attendance figures. In terms of capacity, the cricket ground in Ahmedabad is the biggest.
