“It seemed like a BCCI event” – Mickey Arthur complains for no support for Pakistan after a humiliating defeat against India.

Game 12 of the ongoing ODI World Cup proved to be a challenging encounter for Babar Azam’s Pakistan side as they faced their arch-rivals, India. Unfortunately, Pakistan faced another defeat in the ODI World Cup, as they were unable to secure a victory against Team India, who displayed an outstanding performance, ultimately winning the game by seven wickets.

Throughout the match, it was evident that the fans overwhelmingly supported Team India. This overwhelming support was somewhat expected, considering that the tournament was being entirely hosted in India, making it a home-ground advantage for the Indian team. This passionate and extensive fan backing undoubtedly played a significant role in boosting the morale of the Indian players.

In light of the substantial difference in fan support, Pakistan’s team director, Mickey Arthur, shared his perspective on the matter. Arthur candidly expressed his belief that the India-Pakistan game felt more like a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) event rather than an International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament. He clarified that his intention was not to offer excuses for the team’s performance but rather to shed light on the impact of the unequal fan support on the players’ performance.

Arthur said “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.”