ICC Finally Responds To Mickey Arthur’s Controversial ‘BCCI Event’ Remark, Says ‘There’s Always Criticisms…’

Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur had said that the ODI World Cup 2023 looks like a 'BCCI Event' and not an ICC event after there was bare minimum Pakistan fans in Ahmedabad.

Written by: Koushik Paul

Updated: October 17, 2023, 7:54 AM IST

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https://www.india.com/sports/ind-vs-pak-odi-world-cup-2023-icc-finally-responds-to-mickey-arthurs-controversial-bcci-event-remark-says-theres-always-criticisms-6419347/ Copy

Mickey Arthur addresses media after India vs Pakistan match on October 14. (File Photo)

New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has finally broken the silence on Pakistan’s team director Mickey Arthur’s controversial ‘BCCI event’ stating they are confident that the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 will be an outstanding event. Arthur’s comments came in after India defeated Pakistan comfortably at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad which had a bare minimum support for Pakistan at the stands.

Ahmedabad was a sea of blue during the India vs Pakistan encounter last Saturday. Pakistan fans could not travel to India due to visa issues and those who were there probably passports of other countries to enter India.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai, ICC chief Greg Barclay, said “Every event that we have, there’s always criticisms from various quarters.”

“Things that perhaps we’ll take away and try to work on, try to do better… so this event’s only (at) the start. Let’s see how the whole thing plays out and we’ll go away and we’ll review what could change, what we can do better, how we can improve World Cups and the general offering around cricket.

“We will just take it as it plays out, get to the end of the event. I’m satisfied that it will still be an outstanding World Cup,” he added. Following Pakistan’s eighth World Cup defeat to India, Arthur complained about no Pakistan fans and music in the crowd.

“Look, I’d be lying if I said it did [not affect us],” Arthur said after the match. “It didn’t seem like an ICC event, to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; like a BCCI event,” the South African had said.

Meanwhile, Arthur was not the only one to have complained of a lack of Pakistan support in India during the ODI World Cup 2023. “We are really sad that our supporters aren’t here, they would love be here and I am sure Indian cricket fans would love our supporters here as well,” Pakistan head coach Grant Bradburn told reporters after the game.

“It was certainly unusual in that way, no familiar music for us today. So it did not feel like a World Cup game, honestly. We didn’t expect anything else. We love the occasion and we are disappointed that we did not do justice to the occasion or justice to our many fans at home and globally,” he added.