Picture Credit: X
The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 was hit by a fresh controversy on Thursday, during India’s opening fixture against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. After India’s flag was missing from Karachi’s National Stadium ahead of the tournament opener, the host nation, Pakistan’s name was missing during India versus Bangladesh Group A clash.
However, the broadcaster showcased Pakistan’s name during the tournament opener when the hosts played New Zealand at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, as the tournament moved to Dubai for India’s match, ‘Pakistan’ was missing from the tournament’s name. Seeing this, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) along with the officials were left fuming.
ICC reacts after snubbing 'Pakistan' from tournament's banner during BAN vs IND CT 2025 match
However, after the instance got witnessed by a lot, with several taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), the International Cricket Council (ICC) also quickly reacted to the incident. An ICC spokesperson called it a technical glitch and clarified on the situation. “The omission was due to a graphics-related technical issue, which will be rectified from tomorrow. It was not possible to change the logo during the match,” the spokesperson said, according to Geo News.
Furthermore, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has enquired for a detailed explanation around the matter despite an informal communication from the global governing body.
This comes after a series of incidents after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) denied Team India’s travel for the marquee tournament to Pakistan, citing “security concerns.” However, the Champions Trophy was forced to move into a hybrid model after the intervention of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Leading to this, the two countries have agreed to play all their matches over the next three years at a neutral venue.
